Wilko's World

The rising use of three defenders in Italian football

2012-02-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

Most coaches and supporters of football are sceptical about the idea of playing with only three defenders. This is because of the thought that it will make their side more open and vulnerable defensively.

However this couldn't be further from the truth. As long as the defensive transition of both wing backs is quick, recovering into their defensive positions, then in fact it will make you more compact. The defending team can then achieve numerical superiority over their opponents, and therefore making it extremely difficult for them to be broken down.

There is now more and more evidence of this organisation being successful at both club and national level in todays game.This set up is primarily seen in Italy's Serie A. In fact three of Italy's top sides; Juventus, Udinese and Napoli are all currently adopting a system with three defenders and are all as a result receiving the rewards.

For example Juventus, currently managed by former player Antonio Conte, are playing the best football in Italy so far this season and are currently positioned top of Serie A. Udinese despite losing last seasons star player Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona, are having one of their most successful seasons in the clubs history and are currently in 4th position. Napoli are having two wonderful cup campaigns after seeing off highflying Manchester City in the Champions League, whilst also competing in the semi finals of the Copa Italia.

Both Juventus and Udinese play 3-5-2, whereas Napoli line up slightly differently in a 3-4-3 formation. This is mainly due to Napoli's offensive combination of Hamsik, Lavezzi, Cavani, and playing to their strengths. So they are given freedom in forward areas to constantly switch positions in search of attacking success.

Instead Juventus and Udinese decide to have a central midfield three and having only two attackers. But the concept and tactical vision is still the same between these two slightly different formations.

The Italian league is known as the home of football tactics, as well as some of the greatest tacticians to bless the game. Transitions are a crucial part of any football team! Jose Mourinho: "Everybody says that set pieces win most games, but i think its more about transitions". But they have particular importance and significance in this tactical organization, especially the defensive and offensive transition of both wing backs.

When you are in possession the defensive line consists of only three defenders, with the two wing backs exploding forward showing natural winger behaviour. They take the role of wide attackers, using their pace and acceleration to beat their opponent and produce dangerous deliveries into the box from wide areas.

The two outside centre backs can even move slightly outward when the team are in possession and remain available for a passing option if the play is to be directed backwards.

However when the team are without possession the defensive line consists of five players, with a wall consisting of a midfield three positioned in a straight line closely in front, providing added protection. A defensive structure which even a team filled with the worlds most creative players would struggle to find a way through!

Immediately as the team loses ball possession, both wing backs need to recover quickly to the teams defensive line. This is why it is important that both wing backs have qualities such as pace, athleticism, energy, desire, work rate and stamina. So that the time period of recovery is as low as possible. They need to show the same desire to recover as they do when they break forward, if not more!

We saw this particular role performed well by Juventus's wing backs Martin Caceras and Marcelo Estigarribia, against AC Milan in the Copa Italia semi final first leg. Both of these two players possess all of the qualities listed above, and fulfilled both their defensive and offensive duties excellently. Recent signing Caceras in particular, scoring two goals in a well deserved 2-1 away win at the San Siro.

If a desire to return is not shown, then there can be serious consequences! The back three will look vulnerable and exposed, as they are left to control the entire defensive line on their own. A task which is impossible if the opposition are quick and aggressive in their offensive transitions.

The two wide centre backs will naturally move in to protect the middle defender, leaving open the two wide areas, which they then can't control. This can be exploited by the opposition if they direct their offensive transitions into these wide spaces. This then creates an awkward situation for the defender nearest to the side of play, to either leave his space in the centre, or to let the opponents attacker progress and make his way to goal.

When possession is being moved around among the three defenders, because of their numerical advantage over the opposition, one or two (depending on if the opposition are playing with one or two strikers) of them will be free with no pressure being applied. This then gives them the time and space to carry the ball forward into the opposition half, up until the moment when one of their midfielders leaves their man/space to stop his progress.

As a result of the defenders forward movement with the ball, the oppositions defensive structure and organisation has been disrupted, with an open space in the midfield line and a player free from his marker. This then immediately creates danger as their team shape has been provoked.

In this tactical formation you don't just remain a threat with the ball, you are also a danger without it! Napoli are one of the few sides in todays game who are more dangerous without the ball than they are with it, as Manchester City found in Naples in the group stages of the Champions League.

They patiently wait for the oppostion to make a mistake in possession.The central midfield players Inler and Gargano are hugely disciplined, hard working and have great ball winning abilities. After regaining possession for their side, their first throught is to release the potent attacking front three.

The aim is to try and catch their opponents off guard, while their defensive players are left unprotected. This prospect creates a sense of fear into the opposition during possession, which results in some teams adopting a more cautious style of play with the ball, and therfore not being able to show their true offensive potential.

In the attacking line one of the two strikers acts and functions as a second striker, playing slightly deeper of his strike partner. This happens both offensively and defensively, and can especially be seen with Udinese. Antonio Floro Flores positioning is just off the prolific Antonio Di Natalie, who instead operates more on the shoulder of the last defender and moves into the wide spaces.

Floro Flores dropping deep out of possession offers more protection to the midfield line of three, as he looks to support and provide pressure on the opposition midfield. Whilst in possession it is also a strength, as he moves in between the lines looking for pockets of space, to either create a chance for Di Natalie, or to fashion a chance out for himself.

It remains in debate whether or not this tactical organisation will spread to the other European Leagues. But the success of teams adopting it in Serie A can only help to spread a positive message.

Jose Mourinho - 'The Special One'

2012-02-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

The Greatest Football Manager ever? Time will tell, but he's certainly heading in that direction. Eighteen trophies in only eleven years in football management isn't a bad ratio at this stage in his career! And with a unfinished project with Madrid, another job in England as well as a go at the Portugal national job in his sights, there are sure to be further opportunities to add to this growing list.

Mourinho grew up in Setubal, a small city in Portugal. His aim was to follow in his farther's footsteps and become a professional footballer. However despite short spells at some lower league Portuguise sides, Mourinho soon realised that this wasn't going to happen. It was then at this point in his life that he said to himself that he wanted to become the greatest football coach in the world, his journey had begun!

He studied Sports Science at the Technical University of Lisbon and taught physical education at various schools before receiving his diploma. His next step involved him taking his coaching badges, which he attended in Scotland. His reason for travelling to Scotland to study was because thats where all the best coaches went. This one example clearly demonstrating his principle that 'to be the best you have to act like the best'.

At the half way stage of taking his coaching badges a job offer arised, to work as a translator for English manager Sir Bobby Robson at Portuguise club Sporting Lisbon. It was an opportunity which he couldn't turn down! Mourinho then followed Robson to Porto and then to Barcelona in the same role. When Robson left the Catalan club and Loui Van Gaal was placed in charge, the Dutchman was keen to keep Mourinho as one of his three assistants.

Mourinho had the perfect football education, working alongside two great managers, at one of the biggest clubs and with some of the worlds best players. Mourinho was now ready to go it alone.

One of Mourinho's greatest achievements, which has gone unnoticed by many, was the job he did at Uniao de Leiria. Proving that with no money and no individual outstanding players, he could still build, motivate and organise a group of players into a winning formula. His excellent work was soon recognised by Porto, where he was given the platform to demonstrate his coaching techniques and qualities on a bigger stage.

As well as his excellent reading of the game and tactical understanding, his two main qualities lie in motivation and preparation. When analysing a player, he looks primarily at two things: he wants only players who can do it and at the same time want to do it. He wants players who are willing to gear everything, including social life, to the demand of success.

This work rate and ambition he demands is clearly seen throughout his own work, and after back to back European successes with Porto he carried this on in England with Chelsea.

Mourinho takes nothing for chance, preparing every single detail. Each opposition is analysed in extreme detail. Individual dossiers are created and handed out to each player, informing them on the strengths, weaknesses and tendencies of their individual opponent.

It is this kind of work, which resulted in Mourinho revolutionising the English game. The preparation and style of coaching he displayed was something which the English game had never seen before and resulted in undisputed success, winning six trophies in three season with the Blues. A ratio which has dropped by 50% since his departure.

In the same way England loved Mourinho, Mourinho loved England. So mush so that soon after leaving Chelsea he came close to becoming the England national coach, however in the end he opted to join Italian giants Inter Milan and put an end to their forty three year wait for the Champions League.

While his previous employers carried on desperately falling short in their pursuit of the Champions League, it only took Mourinho until his second season in charge with Inter to win the trophy. Ironically on route to the final, knocking out Chelsea, which included a 1-0 away win at the Bridge.

Being the ambitious person he is, if he wanted to keep to his objective of becoming the greatest football manager in the world, he needed to conquer Spain. Mourinho is a forward thinking person, always with one eye on the future and his future challenges. This can be seen during both Champions League celebrations with Porto and Inter.

So it was no surprise to see him announced as the new Real Madrid manager soon after his latest triumph. Despite being at the worlds biggest football club, this arguably faced 'The Special One' with his toughest challenge yet, as a certain Barcelona stood in his way.

Mourinho once again demonstrated his intelligence and ability adapting to another country, understanding the culture of the players and the club. Despite finishing second to Barcelona in La Liga during his first season, he and his team did overcome the Catalans in the Copa del Rey final, winning 1-0 in a tactical mastermind.

'The Special One" has always maintained the belief that his teams don't begin to reach their peak until his second season in charge. So therefore it was no surprise to see this season his Madrid team go from strength to strength in their pursuit for the La Liga title.

Mourinho's Spanish mission is well on course with his side seven points clear at the top, with eighteen games to go. And if he does, it will mean he will have conquered England, Italy and Spain; the three major european leagues, as well as conquering his home country Portugal, and this all before his fiftieth birthday. An achievement that no other manager has even come close to completing!

What is it that makes 'The Special One' so special? Well it is a combination of qualities, such as a unique understanding of the game, which comes from natural talent. It is also his motivation and ambition, which results in a work ethic like no other manager, failure is not an option!

It is his human aspect, the personal level he connects with the players, this is what makes Mourinho different from the rest. He develops a personal relationship with each and every member of his team, he takes an interest in their lives. The players in return are willing to do anything for him, performing on the pitch and winning trophies! This is what makes Jose Mourinho the 'The Special One'.

Aldershot 0-0 Accrington Stanley

2012-01-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Shots welcomed Accrington Stanley to the EBB Stadium without a victory in their last five games. Last week they were defeated to highflying Cheltenham Town 2-0, in a much-improved performance. New signing Cameroon striker Guy Madjo was included from the start, as the Shots looked to put an end to their recent frustrating spell.

After a few nervy opening minutes, the Shots began to settle and apply some pressure on their opponents. They looked to make the most out of set pieces, crossing the ball high into the Accrington penalty area at every opportunity. The same could not be said of the visitors as an unsuccessful short free kick, resulted in Hylton breaking free at pace. The move ended up with striker Madjo free at the back post and his volley was well blocked by Accrington’s Peter Murphy.

The visitor’s first chance of the match fell to Michael Smith, who headed over from a corner. The tall striker would have been disappointed that he didn’t make the most of his strong aerial ability and kept his header on target from close range. Half way through the first half and neither side were able to take full control of the game, with both sides unable to sustain any real pressure or possession.

The influential left sided Danny Hylton saw his well-struck half volley just whistle over the bar. This effort seemed to install some much needed confidence into the Shots, as shortly after Vincenti blasted against the bar, after shifting the ball nicely onto is left foot. Youngster Charlie Henry then lacked composure as he blasted the rebound high over Ian Dunbavin’s goal.

As the first half progressed Henry began to show some of his potential. He teased the Accrington left back Kevin Mcintyre with a mazy run, with his final cross causing problems for the Accrington goalkeeper at the back post.

Accrington midfielder Luke Joyce could of made more of his chance, which fell to him after a well-worked Accrington move was broken up and fell to the twenty-three year old. He was unable to get the ball out of his feet, eventually deciding to pass instead of a shot just inside the Shot’s penalty area.

While at the other end, right sided midfielder Henry was causing problems once again, as he jinxed inside and his left footed deflected shot wrong footed the goalkeeper, finishing up just wide of the post.

Peter Vincenti might have a big role to play this season, as it was announced that forwards Rankine and Rodman are set to miss the remainder of the season. He was certainly making the most of his role leading the Shots attack, showing great work rate, dropping deep to hassle the Accrington midfield triangle in the centre of the pitch.

In first half injury time, the Shots went close again, as Hylton burst infield on to his favoured right foot, however he was unable to keep his well-struck low shot on target.

Early on in the second half, Accrington striker Smith saw his second chance of the game pass him by. He ran through on to a perfectly waited pass, but Shots goalkeeper Worner was quick off his line to deny to the striker.

The visitors were showing much more urgency and quality in the opening stages of the second half, more than they had done throughout the entire fist half. They came desperately close to opening the scoring, but Bryan Hughes’s cross was just too far in front of the arriving Accrington player.

Hylton in his trademark position at corner kicks, lurking patiently on the edge of the penalty area, had another opportunity to fire his side into the lead, this time however he was unable to control and keep down his powerful effort. Left back Straker also remained a threat, as he accelerated from a deep position down the left hand side in Usain Bolt fashion. His final delivery towards the back post was inch perfect, but unfortunately debutant Guy Madjo lost his footing right at the final moment.

The away side replied with a fine effort of their own, as Peter Murphy attempted to catch Ross Worner off his line with an exquisite left footed chip, but the Shots goalkeeper was on hand to tip the ball over the bar. As the game entered the closing stages striker Smith still remained the visitor’s most likely scorer, as he twisted and turned with his back to goal, before a well-hit shot which was deflected over the bar.

Both managers made changes in search for a late winner, which saw the introduction of hot prospect Adam Mekki replacing the impressive Charlie Henry. Striker Guy Madjo continued to cause problems for the Accrington back line with his willing running and explosive pace, when he burst on to a bouncing ball in the opposition’s penalty area. The new signing though was denied a dream debut goal as Dunbaven saved well from close range.

As both sides were pushing for that all-important winner, the game began to become stretched and more spaces in the midfield and defensive areas started to appear. Accrington substitute Charlie Barnett very nearly made the most of the increased amount of space, but his speculative effort from long distance finished just over the bar.

Neither side were able to grab a late match winner, as they cancelled each other out in a tightly contested match. The Shots will take great spirit from this point, when they travel to AFC Wimbledon in their next league two match.

Club Focus - Malaga's long-term plan to do it the right way

2011-12-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

Abdullah Al Thani bought Malaga FC for £36 million in the summer of 2010, making him the first Qatari investor coming into Spanish Football.

Despite this many were not surprised. Rich investors buying football clubs has become a common trend in today's game.

In 2008 English side Manchester City were taken over by Sheikh Mansour, while more recently this year foreign investors also bought French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

However the Malaga Qatari owner was quick to inform the football world that it would not be the kind of takeover we were used to seeing.

His aim was to show people that the rebuilding of a club could be done in a way that would make people appreciate it.

For example you just have to take a look at the players who have been signed since the takeover; Saloman Rondon, Julio Baptista, Martin Demichelis, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Joaquin Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Francisco Isco to just name a few.

It goes without question that these players above are very talented, but they are not world-beaters or superstars.

This contrasts greatly to the method taken up by Manchester City in the transfer market, who since being taken over have spent large fees on some of Europe's great players.

Robinho was the first big name to arrive for a total £32.5 million, on the same day of the takeover. Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero also later followed, making the switch to Eastland’s for big money.

One word to describe the Malaga project so far would be sensible. Malaga General Manager Fernando Hierro: "it's important that people don’t think it is just about the money. If you look at the players we have signed for rational prices; there has been no madness".

Another example of the club taking sensible actions involve the appointment of manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The Chilian coach is very highly respected throughout Spain, which will therefore help the club themselves be more respected and liked by football fans all around the world.

The appointment of Pellegrini demonstrated great football knowledge by the new owner. The former Real Madrid manager took Villarreal from the lower end of La Liga to the Semi Finals of the Champions League on a minimal budget.

This kind of dramatic rise he achieved with the Yellow Submarines is one, which the Sheikh owner will be looking to achieve.

The club showed no madness last season, when results were going against them and relegation seemed the most probable outcome.

Malaga stood by they're man and it ended up up being the right decision, as a dramatic change of form saw them end up in 10th position.

Fernando Hierro: "He was not sacked when things were going badly last year because there is total faith in him. His position was reinforced by survival and the way that the team played in the final weeks"

Put in this position would the Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich have made the same decision? More than likely not!

Since the Russian billionaire took over back in 2004, the club have seen seven different managers. This lack of stability at the club is seen by most people as the main reason for they're failure to win in the Champions League.

Another intelligent move by owner Abdullah Al Thani was bringing Antonio Fernandez to the club.

Fernandez joined this summer and fulfills the role of Sporting Director. He is extremely highly thought of in Spain as a result of his time with Sevilla, where he identified and bought talent, such as Brazilian duo Dani Alves and Julio Baptista.

The owner also showed good judgment by retaining former player and club president Fernando Sanz.

Sanz has been kept on in an advisory role, keeping an element of the clubs heritage as well as maintaining years of insight and footballing experience.

In the transfer market the club have shown great care in the type of person they have brought into the group.

There is no room for prima donnas in the Malaga squad. Antonio Fernandez says: "it is vital that we sign good people as well as good players".

They have signed a good combination of experience and youth. Van Nistelrooy for instance, a player who has played for two of Europe's best clubs; Manchester United and Real Madrid and has won numerous titles throughout his playing career.

The younger players can look up to players like this as a role model. He can help them to progress and improve on the pitch, as well as being an example for the correct way to look after yourself and behave.

There has been an immediate investment in youth since the takeover. Nineteen-year-old attacking midfielder Isco was signed for £6 million from Valencia in the summer.

The creative Spanish under 20 international is highly thought of in Spain, as one of the brightest stars in La Liga.

Promising youngsters Francisco Portillo, Recio and Juanmi have also been promoted into the first team and are set for a bright future.

Striker Juanmi in particular, he became the youngest player ever to play for Malaga when he made his debut for the club last season at just sixteen.

The objective is to train and nurture the homegrown players, before moving them into the first-team squad when the time is right.

This is a very similar model to the one of current La Liga and European Champions Barcelona.

From the team that started against Manchester United in the Champions League Final in May, seven of the players had developed and been brought through the famous Barcelona youth academy La Masia.

There are two major benefits from adopting this strategy. The first is that you will be spending a considerable amount less on transfer fees, as the majority of the players will be coming from the youth, and therefore costing nothing.

The other benefit is that the young players would of been spending years training and learning the clubs style of play.

So when it comes to making the step up to the first team, the transition will be a simple one, compared to the adjustment and settling in period of player coming in from another club.

So there are clear signs that this Malaga project is heading in the right direction. They have the right people in place on and off the field to progress and help achieve the clubs objectives.

The rest of Spain very well respects the ways they are going about doing this, and this has resulted them in becoming everyone's second favorite team.

Fabregas - the final piece of Pep's master plan

2011-09-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

During Barcelona's pursuit of Cesc Fabregas questions were raised regarding whether or not the Catalan club really needed him. They already had two of the best in his position with Xavi and Iniesta, as well as promising youngster Thiago Alcantara.

Where would he fit in? Would Guardiola partner him with Xavi, moving Iniesta forward to the left side of attack or would he just be a squad player and spend most of his time on the bench?

What was for sure was Barcelona's persistence throughout their two year pursuit for the ex Arsenal captain. Despite the rumours linking Borja Valero with the club, it was clear that no other player would do, it had to be Cesc Fabregas!

On the 15th of August 2011 Barca finally got their man. It was seen as a great day for the whole of Barcelona as they're boy had finally returned home!

He made an immediate impact coming on to score in the European Super cup against Porto, in what was only his second appearance for the club. He made his first start for Barca on the opening day of the season against Villarreal. Barcelona lined up for this game 3-4-3, which saw a change from their familiar 4-3-3 formation.

Fabregas's role see's him at the top of the midfield diamond, playing very close to striker Lionel Messi. He is the perfect player for this position, he has the vision, intelligence and outstanding technical ability to create for both himself and his teammates.

His partnership with Lionel Messi has blossomed due to the excellent understanding of each others games. Messi's deep movements into the midfield creates space for Fabregas to penetrate into. This results in him adopting a more advanced position where he has enjoyed great success, scoring four goals in his first five league games.

Barcelona's performance against Villarreal was quite simply a football masterclass! The formation which includes one extra midfielder allows them to dominate possession even more than they have done in previous years. This results in them having complete match control causing the opponent to tire both physically and mentally.

The formation still keeps the offensive width with two of David Villa, Pedro, Dani Alves and new signing Alexis Sanchez playing in the wide attacking positions.

The weakness of the 3-4-3 is the lack of players in the defensive line. Barcelona try to overcome and prevent this weakness by Sergio Busquets (the player positioned at the bottom of the midfield diamond) moving back into the centre of defence when the team are defending.

However they still can be caught out! If teams are quick in changing attitude after regaining possession and are explosive on the counter attack then Busquets wont be able to move back in time. Therefore leaving the defence unprotected and very exposed, providing opportunities for numerical superiority for their opponents.

We saw Barcelona's vulnerability during opposition counter attacks recently away at the Mestalla. Their weakness was exploited and was done so very well by manager Unai Emery and his team, in a game which saw Valencia leading for the majority of the match.

It is a system which manager Pep Guardiola knows very well. It was the system he played in during the magical 'Dream Team' era, which lifted the Champions League trophy at Wembley in 1992.

Consequently he has a great knowledge and understanding of the 3-4-3 formation and its different functions. With this knowledge along with his unbelievably determined and ambitious character, i'am sure that he will be working intensely to try and eradicate the weaknesses and trying to make the teams use of the formation as efficient and effective as possible.

Player profile - Thiago Alcantara

2011-08-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Thiago Alcantara remember the name!

He was arguably Spain's best player in this summer's European Under-21 Championship, scoring a 40 yard free kick in the final to help clinch the trophy for his country.

His impressive performances in the tournament resulted in fierce interest from some of Europe's major sides. However the Italian born midfielder signed a contract extension, turning down the chance of moving to either Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United or Real Madrid.

He has been on the books at Barcelona since 2005 where he made the switch from Brazilian side Flamengo. He played an instrumental role in the success of the Barca B side in the Segunda, and it was clear for everyone at Barcelona to see that he was ready to join the likes of Iniesta and Messi in the senior side. In the 2010/2011 season he made the switch and as the season progressed he started to feature more often, ending with seventeen games, three goals and three assists under his belt.

A career in sport always looked destined for Thiago. He is the son of former Brazilian 1992 World Cup winner Mazinho, while his mother is a former vollyball player. His brother Rafinha is part of the Barca youth set up and is also set for a bright future.

Thiago has all the attributes needed to be a world class midfielder. Despite not being the biggest he has great strength, which helps him hold off opponents. He has great vision and technique. Thiago also has amazing control and trickery to help him move past opposition players with ease.

So far he has had a great pre season with European champions Barcelona scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Audi Cup. His manager Josep Guardiola has been delighted with his recent progress: "Everything Thiago Alcantara does at the moment turns into gold".

Even from when he was part of the victorious under 17 Spanish side in 2008, he has always been the brightest star in European football. It is now his time to show the footballing world on a bigger stage his true potential.

Two other future stars to look out for:

Philippe Coutinho

Made his debut for the Brazil senior team at the age of eighteen. He is a player with amazing potential. Described by former manager Rafael Benitez and club president Massimo Moratti as "The future of Inter".

Christian Eriksen

It has been an amazing couple of years for the nineteen year old. Last year he was the youngest player to be involved at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. While in 2011 he was named Man of the match in the friendly against England as well as being named Dutch Football Talent of the year.

Chelsea beat Birmingham 3-1 to leapfrog Arsenal into second place

2011-05-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

A brace from Florent Malouda and a wonderful solo effort by Soloman Kalou was enough to see the Blues to victory against a struggling Birmingham City.

With leaders Manchester United slipping up at Newcastle, Chelsea took the opportunity to cut United's lead at the top to just 6 points.

The same though could not be said of Arsenal, who once again dropped points after being in a winning position. The 3-3 draw away to Tottenham leaves them now third in the league.

It was clear to see the confidence within the Chelsea players during the early stages, as they returned to their familiar 4-3-3 formation.

There was more of a fluidity to Chelsea's play. All the players looked more comfortable playing in the formation which over recent years has brought them so much success.

Frank Lampard was given license to make his trademark late runs into the box, knowing that he had the protection of John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien behind him.

It wasn't long until they took the lead. Paulo Ferreira's right wing cross flicked on by Didier Drogba, before Florent Malouda ran in to finish off a wonderful free flowing Chelsea move.

The home side then looked to push on and extend their lead. Drogba was in excellent form and came close on several occasions to scoring a goal of his own.

The Ivorian striker would of been keen to make a point to manager Carlo Ancelotti, after he was left out of the starting eleven in the Champions league defeat at Old Trafford only a week ago.

He was desperately unlucky when his precise low effort from distance was kept out by a good save from Ben Foster.

Despite Chelsea's pressure on the Birmingham goal, the visitors created a few chances of their own.

On loan midfielder Alexander Hleb ran through on goal, and just as he was about to shoot, John Terry was able to make a superb covering tackle to deny the Belarus international.

Moments later Cameron Jerome also came close, but his shot from a tight angle was saved well by goalkeeper Petr Cech.

During his time at Stamford Bridge Soloman Kalou has often been criticised about his lack of an end product.

However this was not the case tonight as he finished off a wonderful mazy run with a well struck effort from 20 yards to double Chelsea's advantage.

The home side went into the break in a commanding position, 2-0 up and surely now no way back for the side battling relegation.

The half time break had seemed to disrupt Chelsea's flow. Their passing was less accurate and their was less of an urgency about their play.

It didn't though stop them scoring a third just after the hour mark as Malouda scored his second of the match.

The goal was the result of some excellent play by substitute Ryan Bertrand, who whipped in a fabulous left footed cross which was headed in by Malouda.

The Chelsea fans would of been delighted with the impact of the 21 year old Bertrand, who was making his debut for the Blues.

Carlo Ancelotti's other two changes saw the arrival of both Nikolas Anelka and record signing Fernando Torres.

These substitutions meant a change of formation. Chelsea were now set up 4-3-1-2, with Anelka playing in a free role behind Drogba and Torres.

Birmingham made a few changes of their own bringing on David Bentley and Matt Derbyshire.

The two players immediately made the impact which their manager would of been hoping for. Birmingham were starting to ask more questions of the Chelsea defence.

Birmingham pulled one goal back when Sebastian Larsson scored from the penalty spot after a needless foul by defender David Luiz.

Alex McLeish's side then threatened to pull another one back, when Matt Derbyshire ran through on goal. But the substitute snatched at the chance and dragged his shot well wide of the target.

A more composed finish from the former Blackburn striker would of surely set up a nervy climax to the game.

Drogba then had the chance to cap an excellent performance with a goal from an indirect free kick but the striker blazed over from 12 yards.

So a professional performance by the reigning champions which saw them get all three points as they remain in the hunt for the Premier League title.

Chelsea (4-3-3) Cech, Ferreira, David Luiz, Terry, Cole (Bertrand), Mikel, Essien, Lampard, Kalou (Torres), Malouda (Anelka), Drogba

Birmingham (4-4-1-1) Foster, Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Parnaby (Davies), Larsson, Gardner, Ferguson, Fahey, Hleb (Bentley), Jerome (Derbyshire)

Brazil star Neymar claims racist abuse during Scotland match

2011-05-05T03:25:00.000-07:00

The talk after the International match between Brazil and Scotland last month should of been about Neymar, the 19 year old boy wonder and his sensational performance he put in against the Scots.

However instead the main sporting headline was about how the Santos player had been racially abused during the game. A banana had been thrown in the direction of Neymar as he went to celebrate with his teammates, after scoring his second goal of the game.

After long debate it has been discovered that a German tourist was responsible for throwing the banana on to the pitch.

Football cannot go on like this. It was the fourth high profile case of football racism in the space of eight days.

Real Madrid left back Marcelo was another victim of racist abuse, whilst playing against city rivals Atletico Madrid, where he was called a monkey by the Atletico fans.

Such type of offensive incidents are now thankfully very rare in the English game. The introduction of anti-racism campaigns such as 'Kick it Out' have gone a long away to kicking racism out of the English game.

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien now an ambassador of 'Kick it Out' said that he has never been racially abused during his time in England and that this is largely down to the anti-racism campaigns in place.

West Bromwich Albion striker Peter Odemwingie in fact moved to England last summer in order to get away from the racism he was receiving in Russia.

He spent three years at club side Lokomotiv Moscow where he was subject to weekly torrents of racial abuse. Only a few days after his move to England his former club's fans unfurled a banner with a banana on it emblazoned with (Thanks West Brom).

A Russian official tried to brush off criticism over the banner by saying: "We don't see any reasons to dramatise this, since in Russian student slang 'to get a banana' means to fail a test, and Odemwingie was seen by fans in Moscow as not perhaps the best performer."

The West Brom fans felt it was their responsibility to respond and protect their new player. In response they created their own banner saying "Thanks Lokomotiv' with a picture of Odemwingie celebrating the winning goal he scored on his debut for his new club.

The former Lokomotiv player thinks that racism in Russian football has worsened since he left last year and that it must be tackled by 2018 when Russia will host the 2018 World Cup.

Odemwingie isn't the only footballer to have had a troubled time when playing in Russia. Cameroonian defender Andre Bikey who now plays for Burnley said that he carried a gun during his time with Lokomotiv.

'Russia has a different mentality. For a black person it is very hard to live, particularly outside Moscow. There are things i want to forget about my time there.'

These are no exceptions of racism in Russia. Fans of Russian footballing sides are often seen throwing bananas at black players during the game.

Brazil legend Roberto Carlos was the latest victim while playing for club side Anzhi Makhachkala in a Russian league game against Zenit Petersburg.

After Roberto Carlos demanded action against the racist fan. His call came on the same day governing bodies refused to get involved.

Zenit St Petersburg manager Dick Advocaat has previously revealed that he could not sign black players. 'The only players who can make Zenit stronger are dark skinned, but it would be impossible. I would be happy to sign anyone, but the fans don't like black players.'

The fact that racism is such a commonplace in Russian football matches really calls into question Fifa's decision to award the country the 2018 World Cup.

Viv Anderson, England's first ever black player had this to say on the matter:

'Incidents like these have been occurring in Russia for the last four or five years but still nothing's done. If you've got this underlying current at the World Cup, people aren't going to want to go'.

This could well be the case come 2018. Some people will just not want to go and watch or play football within that atmosphere.

It would be a travesty to football. One of, if not the greatest sporting event along with the Olympic games and it potentially could be without some of the world's greatest footballers.

Surely Fifa has to start to take action now and try to put a stop to the racism, which is frequently witnessed in Russian football before it is too late.

Champions League quarter-final preview

2011-04-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid vs Tottenham

Venue: Spain, Santiago Bernabeu

Real Madrid:

Madrid have have gone from strength to strength under the management of Jose Mourinho. As like with his previous clubs it takes time for his players to learn and adapt to his playing philosophy.

But as the season progresses this Madrid team are beginning to look and play like a typical Mourinho side. One which is organised and hard to break down, whilst lethal in attack.

They are currently full of confidence after recently knocking out French side Lyon in style, while in the league they beat city rivals Atletico 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon stadium.

French striker Karim Benzema was on target in both of these games and is playing full of confidence. However injury looks as if it will rule him out of the first leg, so on loan Emmanuel Adebayor will come in to lead the Madrid attack.

Tottenham:

It is no question that Spurs's league form has been more inconsistent this season compared to last year due to taking part in the Champions League.

But this is understandable as the majority of the side are taking part in Europe's leading competition for the first time, and so many are still getting to grips with playing two games most weeks.

Spurs have been the surprise team in this year's competition. Just ask Italian giants Milan and Inter! The likes of Van der Vaart and Bale have been instrumental in Spurs's success, providing some outstanding performances during the group stages.

However what has been just as impressive and which was clear to see in the games against Milan is how well Spurs have defended.

Yes Lennon scored the winning goal in the San Siro, but the real match winners were holding midfielders Sandro and Palacios. The partnership of Gallas and Dawson in the heart of the defence has also been a key factor to them reaching the quarter finals.

The tactical battle:

I imagine that manager Harry Redknapp will be looking for a similar performance from his side to the one against AC Milan at the San Siro. However this Madrid side is much stronger than Milan and in every department, defence, midfield and attack.

But especially midfield. This is why i think the midfield battle is going to be key. Real Madrid with the players they posess will look to dominate the game with large periods of posession.

Tottenham cant afford to give time and space to the likes of Xabi Alonso and Ozil in the centre of the pitch to create. Because given space and time they will create chances through their great passing ability and vision.

Spurs are also going to have to choose the times they attack very wisely. As many of Madrid's goals this season have come from counter attacking their opponents, especially with the pace of Di Maria and Ronaldo.

Gallas obviously knows striker Adebayor well through playing together at Arsenal. The defenders experience as well as Dawson's height are going to be key in stopping the Togolese striker.

It will be interesting to see whether Lassana Diarra or Sami Khadira is picked to play alongside Xabi Alonso in the heart of the Madrid midfield. If it is the latter then Spurs can exploit this.

The German does not have the defensive abilities that Lass does. Khadira is more comfortable when pushing on and making late midfield runs in attack, whereas Diarra likes to sit and break up the play allowing no room for the opposition to create.

Probable starting line ups:

(4-2-3-1) Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Pepe, Carvalho, Khadira, Xabi Alonso, Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo, Adebayor

(4-2-3-1) Gomes, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, Gallas, Dawson, Sandro, Modric, Lennon, Van der Vaart, Bale, Crouch

The one to watch:

German playmaker Mesut Ozil. The link between the midfield and attack. The player who can cut an oppositions defence wide open in a blink of an eye.

Chelsea vs Manchester United

Venue: England, Stamford Bridge

Chelsea:

The Chelsea players i'm sure will be looking for revenge after being defeated in the final only three years ago by Manchester United. With seven of the Chelsea players who started the match in Moscow likely to play from the start on wednesday.

After the recent victory against Manchester City it now seems that Chelsea are out of their so called 'slump'. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said after the game "Chelsea players have now woken up".

Drawing Manchester United in the quarter finals does provide Chelsea with a difficult test. However i'm sure that they will be pleased to avoid manager Jose Mourinho and his Madrid side. After the Portuguese tactician ended their Champions League dream last season when manager of Inter.

Manchester United:

Sir Alex Ferguson's side just about held on against Marseille in the previous round after two goals by striker Hernandez.

And without Vidic at the heart of the defence United dont look as solid at the back. They have had to rely heavily on 40 year old goalkeeper Edwin Van der Saar, who is currently on the form of his life.

Ferguson should be fairly confident going into this game after seeing his side control the first half at Stamford Bridge only last month.

The manager will be desperately hoping that his side come away from Chelsea with an away goal to take back to Old Trafford. This is something which his side did not do in France against Marseille and they nearly paid the price in the second leg.

The tactical battle:

Chelsea look as if they will carry on with their successful 4-4-2 formation. However United's formation is less predictable.

When the two sides met recently they lined up 4-4-2 in search of a win. Ferguson though in the past has often gone with a 4-5-1 formation when playing away in the Champions League. So it will be interesting to see how they will line up.

To be honest i think it will be the latter. I think the United boss will look to press Chelsea in the midfield with the likes of Carrick and Park.

He wont want the powerful Chelsea midfield to dominate the game and so will go with an extra midfielder in order to achieve this objective. He will then look to use the pace of Nani and Rooney on the break to try and get an away goal.

They especially will look to capitalise on Chelsea's right hand side. Right midfielder Ramires likes to tuck in field into his more natural central position, which as a result will leave room for Evra to exploit.

At right back it looks as if it will be Boswinga. This is a big problem for Chelsea as United will look to get Nani in a one on one situation with the Portuguese defender as much as possible and attack the Chelsea weak link.

Probable starting line ups:

(4-4-2) Cech, Boswinga, Cole, Ivanovic, Terry, Ramires, Malouda, Essien, Lampard, Torres, Drogba

(4-2-3-1) Van der Sar, Rafael, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia, Park, Nani, Rooney

The one to watch:

The fastly improving Nani. Without a doubt he has been United's best attacking player this season. With his pace and trickery, he is sure to cause the Chelsea defence plenty of problems.

Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Venue: Spain, Nou Camp

Barcelona:

The one team Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola didn't want to face in the quarter finals were Shakhtar Donetsk.

Barcelona have had some tough games against the side from Ukraine in recent years and a tricky tie at the Donbass Arena awaits them. With the second trip in mind Guardiola will be looking for a sufficient lead to take into the second leg.

At the weekend Barcelona looked to have clinched the La Liga title, even though it is not mathematical yet, with Madrid losing and Barca winning the gap is now at eight points with only eight games to play.

Barcelona played after Madrid's defeat to Sporting, so Guardiola believed he could take the risk of resting his star man Lionel Messi who picked up a slight knock while away on international duty. So Barcelona's star man will be fresh and ready for the game on wednesday.

Shakhtar Donetsk:

Shakhtar have been very impressive in this year's competition seeing off some of Europe's top sides. Firstly they beat Arsenal, which as result meant they finished top of the group.

Then in the second round they saw of Montella's Roma, beating them 3-2 at the Olympic stadium and then 3-0 at home in the second leg.

The Shakhtar side is made up some very talented Brazilians, such as Fernandinho, Douglas Costa, Jadson, Willian, Luiz Adriano and Eduardo.

Playmaker Jadson who played in Brazil's recent friendly against Scotland, is an important player in their side and his creativity and vision is sure to cause Barca some problems over the two legs.

The tactical battle:

The main threat to Barca's defence will be the pace of Willian on the counter attack.

The Brazilian winger has really caught the eye in this seasons Champions League. Most notably with his recent performance against Italian side Roma, where he scored a wonderful curling effort.

With Barca's high line in defence, this will leave plenty of room in behind which Willian can take advantage of.

This is why Abidal's absence is such a costly one. The Frenchman has been vital for the Catalans this year due to his pace, which is used to break up opposition's counter attacks.

Probable starting line ups:

(4-3-3) Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Adriano, Pique, Sergio Busquets, Mascherano, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, David Villa, Messi

(4-2-3-1) Pyatov, Srna, Rat, Chygrynskiy, Rakitskyi, Hubschman, Mkhitaryan, Douglas Costa, Jadson, Willian, Luiz Adriano

The one to watch:

Pedro. The experience of last year's World Cup has helped him progress even further and he is now a valuable member of the Barcelona first eleven. He is also a clinical finisher and has a total of 20 goals so far this season.

Inter Milan vs Schalke

Venue: Italy, San Siro

Inter Milan:

Inter will be fully expected to see off Schalke, who are currently sitting 11th in the Bundesliga, and progress to the semi finals.

However Spanish side Valencia would of been thinking the exact same thing in the previous round. This is why the defending champions cant take their opposition too lightly because at the end of the day they are up against a German side, which will be typically organised and hard to beak down.

Inter come into this game after a crushing 3-0 defeat to AC Milan, which has weakened their chances of catching their arch rivals in the race for the Scudetto.

This though could still work in their favour as they now know that the Champions League is their most realistic chance of silverware.

Despite Inter being without striker Pazzini who is ineligible, they will be boosted by the return of Diego Milito who came on as a substitute in the defeat to Milan at the weekend.

Schalke:

Since Schalke last played in the Champions League and defeated Spanish side Valencia, they have had a change of manager. Felix Magarth has returned to the club for a second spell in charge, replacing Ralf Rangnick as manager.

This is not the ideal preparations to a Champions League quarter final against the the holders. However their position in the league isn't a true reflection of their quality. They have some excellent players running through the spine of their team.

For example Manuel Neuer, a top young goalkeeper currently strongly linked with Bayern Munich and English side Manchester United.

And then in attack they have one of the Champions League greats in Raul, who scored the decisive away goal in Spain in the previous round. His experience is going to be key at the San Siro as Schalke go once again looking to upset the odds.

The tactical battle:

If the German side are to have a chance of progressing to the semi finals it will heavily depend on how well they deal with Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder.

As Chelsea found out last year, it just takes one moment of brilliance from the former Real Madrid player and you can find yourselves out of the competition.

The Schalke manager will need to designate a player to stay close to Sneijder and stop him from being given room to dictate and run the game.

Probable starting line ups:

(4-3-1-2) Julio Cesar, Maicon, Zanetti, Ranocchia, Chivu, Thiago Motta, Stankovic, Cambiasso, Sneijder, Milito, Eto'o

(4-4-2) Neuer, Uchida, Sarpei, Hoewedes, Metzelder, Farfan, Jurado, Matip, Draxler, Edu, Raul

One to watch:

Samuel Eto'o, currently the joint top goalscorer in this year's Champions League with eight goals. He has been at his very best this year and has been a key part to Inter making it through to the quarter finals.

Gunners feel robbed as Messi strikes again

2011-03-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

A draw or even a 1-0 defeat would see Arsenal through to the quarter final stages of the Champions League. Against most other European outfits the Gunners would fully be expected to progress. However they weren't playing any normal team, they were up against probably the greatest team in football history.

F.C Barcelona have exceeded their dominance from previous seasons and have reached a whole new level. The Catalan giants are currently on course for a third successive La Liga title, with in the process scoring an incredible seventy-eight goals. Twenty-seven of them scored by their little Argentinian magician Lionel Messi.

On average Barcelona have scored three goals a game when playing at the Nou camp this season. This meant that Arsenal were going to have to play in a way not too familiar to the majority of their players. They needed to be both physically strong and well organised in defence, if they were to have any chance of beating this formidable side.

They also were going to need all their star players available for this pivotal game in their season. It was therefore a massive boost to manager Arsene Wenger that talented trio Wilshere, Fabregas and Van Persie were all declared fit to start by the Arsenal medical staff.

Pre match there was an electric atmosphere around the stadium, with the Barca fans in full voice as they welcomed their team of stars to the field.

A notable improvement under the management of Pep Guardiola, has been the teams work rate and closing down of opponents. As soon as the ball is lost the Barca players hunt in packs to win it back as high up the pitch as possible. This means that when they regain possession they are instantly back on the attack, leaving the opposition defenders no time to rest.

Throughout the game the Arsenal players felt the full force of Barcelona's high work rate. This resulted in them being penned back deep into their own half for the entire match. The best passing side in England were barely able to complete three consecutive passes. Despite this Arsene Wenger's side were defending surprisingly well in the first half, with some great last ditch blocks by centre backs Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny.

With 20 minutes not even on the clock the Gunners were forced into a change. Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny discolated his finger whilst trying to keep out a powerful Dani Alves free kick. Forgotten man Manuel Almunia came on as a substitute against Barcelona for the second time in his Arsenal career, the first being in the 2006 Champions League Final.

Despite Arsenal defending well, they were at times at fault for over playing in dangerous areas. Captain Cesc Fabregas was punished for this when he tried a back heel on the edge of his own box. The ball went straight to the feet of the talented Andres Iniesta. The Barca midfielder then jinxed passed a couple of Arsenal players, before playing a delicate pass to team mate Lionel Messi who finished exquisitely.

Fabregas's error was something you don't expect to see from your captain a minute before half time. Apart from that moment the visitors would of been very pleased with their first half display. However you now feared for this fragile Arsenal side, as Barcelona started to put even more pressure on the tiring Arsenal defence during the early stages of the second half.

The Barca players were now able to open up the their oppositions defence with such ease. It was only for a string of world class saves by Almunia that the scoreline stayed as it did. Whilst at the other end Arsenal posed little threat at all.

However through a spirited and skillfull run by Samir Nasri, Arsenal were able to win a corner, which they took full advantage of. With pressure from some Arsenal players, Sergio Busquests was only able to head the ball past his own goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Arsenal had somehow without a shot on goal found themselves on level terms.

The Gunners now had a really great chance of progressing, as Barca needed two goals to win with time running out. But moments after this Arsenal found themselves down to ten men, through a crazy decision by Massimo Busacca.

The Swiss referee gave Robin Van Persie a second yellow card for carrying on after the whistle had been blown. The decision left the Dutch striker and the other Arsenal players fuming. After the game it was reported that the whistle was blown for offside exactly one second before Van Persie shot, demonstrating how harsh the decision really was.

The one side you don't want to be down to 10 men against is Barcelona, due to their amazing ability in possession. It wasn't long until the home side took advantage of the extra man, as Xavi ran through to finish off a wonderfully flowing move through the heart of the Arsenal defence. The excellent Manuel Almunia this time was unable to keep the Catalans out.

It was only moments later when they would get the all important third. It ended up coming from the penalty spot as Koscielny brought down Barca winger Pedro in the box. Messi comfortably placed the ball into the bottom corner to score his second of the night.

There seemed no way back for Wenger's side now. They looked a beaten side, everyone excluding young passionate Jack Wilshere, who would just not give up. It was he who pounced on a mistake in the Barca defence before playing an inch perfect pass to substitute Nicklas Bendtner. With only the goalkeeper to beat, the Danish striker's first touch was a poor one and Arsenal's last chance had gone.

At the end of the game Arsene Wenger waited furiously by the tunnel for the Swiss referee. The Arsenal manager obviously still very upset about the unfair dismissal, which was without doubt the huge turning point in the match.

He wasn't the only one to show his anger to the referee. Robin Van Persie felt the official had cost Arsenal their place in the quarter finals.

"It had a big influence."

"I think it was a total joke. How can i hear his whistle with 95,000 people jumping up? How can i hear it? Please explain that?"

It is clear to see that the manner in how Arsenal have been knocked out is going to take an effect on the players, but they are going to have to bounce back quickly. They have an FA Cup quarter final this saturday against Manchester United as well as some vital domestic fixtures.

Barcelona on the other hand have showed the rest of Europe yet another football masterclass. They will for sure be the team that others will want to avoid in the quarter final draw next friday.

Barcelona (4-3-3) Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Adriano (Maxwell), Sergio Busquets, Abidal, Mascherano (Keita), Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, David Villa (Afellay), Messi

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Szczesny (Almunia), Sagna, Clichy, Djourou, Koscielny, Diaby, Wilshere, Rosicky (Arshavin), Fabregas (Bendtner), Nasri, Van Persie

Chelsea comeback to keep title hopes alive

2011-03-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

Chelsea came into this game knowing that nothing else but a win would keep their slim title chances alive. There had been plenty of controversy with players from both sides in the build up to this game. England internationals Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney found themselves once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. However both players were in from the start for this much anticipated clash of the titans. Manchester United's starting eleven indicated strongly that manager Sir Alex Ferguson believed that this struggling Chelsea side were there for the taking. He lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with the inform Hernandez partnering Rooney in attack. In previous encounters we are use to seeing both sides lining up with five in midfield. However this time both bosses started the game with a 4-4-2 in search of a victory.

The game got off to an open start with the home side perhaps slightly on top during the early stages. It was refreshing to see a game of this importance being played at such a fast tempo. Midfielder Florent Malouda was unable to turn his sides good start into a lead as his weak effort was easily kept out. As the first half progressed the more Manchester United came into the game. They were beginning to dominate large periods of possession in the oppositions half, without any substantial pressure from the Chelsea players. The United players were being allowed to roam into space with complete ease and it wasn't long until they soon exploited this. Wayne Rooney was given far too much room on the edge of the box to control and then set himself, before arrowing a powerful low drive into the bottom corner of the net to give the visitors the lead.

Chelsea late on in the half came desperately close to drawing level, only to be stopped by a string of world class saves by Edwin Van der Sar. The Dutch goalkeeper demonstrating why his manager is so desperate to keep him at the club for another year. Despite this late scare United went into the break very comfortable and with a fully deserved 1-0 lead. A big improvement was needed by Carlo Ancelotti's side if they were to have any chance of getting something out of the game.

Whatever the blues boss said to his players it definitely worked. Everyone of the Chelsea players were showing a greater hunger and determination in their play. The United midfield were now getting less time and space on the ball as a result of the large amounts of pressure being put on them by the Chelsea players. Whilst in attack the home side were playing with more of a purpose and to a much quicker tempo. It wasn't long until they were soon back on level terms. New signing David Luiz smashed a fierce low half volley into the bottom corner leaving the excellent Van der Sar with no chance. With Chelsea now in the ascendancy they went looking for that all important winning goal.

As the game was becoming more stretched both defences were starting to be caught out. David Luiz in particular could count himself pretty lucky not to be sent off, after he cynically brought down Wayne Rooney. Then only moments later substitute Yuri Zhirkov sprung onto a loose ball in the United penalty area before being brought down by the young Chris Smalling. Under immense pressure Frank Lampard was able to convert the penalty smashing the ball past the diving goalkeeper. Manchester United were left with only ten minutes to find themselves an equaliser and they very nearly did through goalscorer Wayne Rooney. The striker ran in on goal but was only able to shoot wide from a narrow angle to the despair of the travelling fans behind the goal.

Ferguson's evening was to go from bad to worse as he saw his captain Nemanja Vidic sent off for a second bookable offence. This meant that he would miss the upcoming clash against Liverpool. Chelsea through the power and strength of Didier Drogba, who held the ball in the corner for the closing stages, were able to see out the game and secure a 2-1 victory. This was a massive result for Chelsea as they closed the gap between themselves and United. The task in hand though still remains a huge one, but Ferguson's side still have tough away fixtures to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. Whilst Chelsea have a game in hand as well as a visit to Old Trafford where they were victorious last season. This result doesn't now mean that Chelsea have a great chance of winning the title, it has though kept their hopes of retaining the title alive as well as putting some further pressure on league leaders United.

Chelsea (4-4-2) Cech, Ivanovic, Cole, David Luiz (Boswinga), Terry, Ramires, Malouda (Zhirkov), Essien, Lampard, Anelka (Drogba), Torres

Manchester United (4-4-2) Van der Sar, O'shea, Evra (Fabio), Smalling, Vidic, Fletcher, Nani, Carrick, Scholes (Giggs), Hernandez (Berbatov), Rooney

Leadership and experience - Arsenal's two missing ingredients to success

2011-03-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Carling Cup final defeat was probably the biggest indication yet that Arsenal lack players with leadership and experience. Two vital attributes of any successful team. Yes the mistake for the winning goal was what ultimately lost Arsenal the cup, but the slip up in defence was not down to a lack of ability. It was purely down to a lack of leadership. Could you see that goal being scored if David Seamen and Tony Adams were in the team? I don't think so. Its not that Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny aren't good enough players because both of them have shown great signs of potential and promise. Both i'm sure will go on to be very good players for Arsenal Football Club. The Gunners are just in need of some leaders in the team who can prevent mistakes like this from happening.

Arsenal need a player with experience who can guide the younger players in the squad. A player who can organise the team defensively to see out a 1-0 victory away to the likes of Stoke. Its not like manager Arsene Wenger hasn't had these players during his time at Arsenal. For example during the time of the invincibles where he had the correct mixture of flair and experience. They had the powerful tough tackling midfield in frenchman Patrick Vieria who drove the team to titles. The defence was also marshalled and organised by the experienced Sol Campbell. These are exactly the type of players that this current crop of talent seem to be missing.

You just have to take a look at the two sides to only win the English Premier League in the last six years. Chelsea and Manchester United have both always had leadership and experience in abundance. Chelsea have had John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba as the spine of their team. These are players who have experienced winning and know what it takes to win titles. Why does Fergie still have veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in his squad? Yes because of their undoubted talent, but also and perhaps even more importantly because of their experience. They are also used in the squad to help the younger and less experienced players in the squad. Looking at Ferguson's team selection against the big teams, it is more often than not that Scholes and Giggs are used as their experience is vital to the rest of the team.

In an interview leading up to Sunday's final Arsene Wenger for the first time gave us a detailed insight into his football philosophy. In particular he talked about youth development and the damage potential signings can have on young players. To demonstrate his point he used the example of Arsenal fans wanting him to sign a top quality goalkeeper. Wenger said if he did do this he could face losing young Wojciech Szczesny who is currently Arsenal's number one. The polish goalkeeper who is regarded by many as a great prospect who has the potential to go on to be one of the best. His progress would come to an immediate halt if a new goalkeeper was brought in. Not only this his confidence would also be considerably affected and confidence as we know is a key attribute of any world class goalkeeper. The time and money Arsenal have spent on recruiting and then coaching him would ultimately all go to waste.

This model of developing youth players all the way through to the senior side is a very simlar one to Spanish giants Barcelona. If you take a look at the current Barcelona first eleven, only three of them have been signed from other clubs. These are Dani Alves, Eric Abidal and David Villa. The rest of the team have all come through the Barcelona youth academy La Masia. With players such as Pique and Messi playing together in the same age group throughout the youth ranks. This is something which Arsene Wenger is looking to emulate and therefore is the reason why he won't go spending big in the summer.

The average age of the Arsenal squad is 23. This doesn't necessary mean that you can't win trophies. If you remember back to the season of 1995/1996 where Alan Hansen famously said 'you can't win anything with kids.' He was referring to Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a side of youngsters and lost 3-1 to Aston Villa on the opening day of the season. Hansen was later proved wrong as Fergie's men went on to be crowned champions. However that famous Manchester United side filled with a ray of young talent still included the leadership and experience of players like Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel. When i look at Arsenal i dont see any of these type of players. I do see world class players such as Wilshere, Fabregas, Nasri and Van Persie and that goes without question. That though can sometimes just not be enough.

Jose Mourinho also known as the special one, at the beginning of season believed that Arsenal were still not ready to fight for the Premier League. He said 'year after year it looks likely - but no'. The next few weeks could go a long way in seeing if Mourinho will be proved right. Arsenal had been battling on four fronts many times before, but when one went so did the others soon after. This will be a tough test for this Arsenal side mentally, as they have important matches in both the league and FA Cup as well as a trip to the Nou Camp. Will they be able to bounce back and finally put an end to their long wait without a trophy, or will Arsenal's season collapse in domino fashion like it has done so many times before?

Late Gomez goal sinks Inter

2011-02-28T03:05:00.000-08:00

Inter Milan and Bayern Munich were drawn together to form a repeat of last years Champions League final. The Italian side managed then by Jose Mourinho were triumphant in Madrid, so Bayern went into the game looking for a small dose of revenge. Both clubs after a successful last season have failed to live up to their high expectations and are currently off the pace in their domestic leagues. Bayern's disappointing campaign so far is largely down to the long term injuries to wingers Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery. The pair have only played together on four occasions this season and it is clear to see that when they are both in the side Bayern are a much stronger and dangerous proposition.

The two starting line ups were very different, with the home side Inter playing with a defensive quartet in midfield. This included the likes of Thiago Motta, Zanetti, Cambiasso and Stankovic, leaving just Eto'o upfront on his own supported by Wesley Sneijder. Bayern on the other hand lined up in typical Lou Van Gaal fashion, sticking to his well known attacking philosophy. He started the game with a front four of Arjen Robben, Thomas Mueller, Frank Ribery and the in form Mario Gomez. An attacking line up to give any defence in the world nightmares!

It was the defending champions who had the first chance of the game. It fell though to the wrong person, with centre back Ranocchia shooting wide from close range. The dangerous duo Robben and Ribery both were causing panic amongst the Inter defence with their pace and trickery. Despite the defensive line up fielded by Brazilian manager Leonardo, Inter still had the threat of Eto'o and Sneijder. The pair seemed to have formed a great partnership linking up at times to great effect. It was the Cameroonian striker who very nearly opened the scoring with a powerful left footed strike. The young german goalkeeper Thomas Kraft showed great reflexes to keep the ball out, when it seemed destined for the back of the net.

Bayern also came close to taking the lead and getting that all important away goal. Ribery's glancing header struck the bar with Julio Cesar well beaten. Striker Gomez then missed a great chance, blazing over at the end of a well worked Bayern move. Even new holding midfielder Luis Gustavo was getting in on the act coming close with some well struck left footed strikes from distance. With Inter's new signing Pazzini ineligible after already playing in the competition with Sampdoria and Milito out injured Eto'o was looking at times an isolated figure in attack.

Despite an entertaining first half the score line remained goal less. As the second half progressed the game became even more open. This then lead to further opportunities for both sides. Thomas Kraft produced another great save, once again denying striker Samuel Eto'o. The ball though could only be parried to midfielder Esteban Cambiasso who some how shot over when it seemed easier to score. As the game became stretched the more influential Dutch winger Arjen Robben became. It was through him Bayern hit the woodwork for the second time on the night. He skipped past a couple of Inter defenders before then hitting the outside of the post from a narrow angle. However the outcome would of surely been different if it was on his favoured left foot.

Inter then pushed further forward in an attempt to take a lead into the second leg. Injured defender Andrea Ranocchia was replaced by right sided midfielder Houssine Kharja. With the pace of Robben and Ribery the away side still remained a threat. With the game moving into injury time it looked as if a draw was the most likely outcome. Then the outstanding Arjen Robben cut inside and let fly with a trademark left footed strike. The ever reliable Julio Cesar fumbled the shot, which was then pounced on by Gomez in a true poacher's fashion.

The goal stunned the San Siro into absolute shock. The defending champions now face an up hill battle to progress to the quarter final stage. It was reported that Julio Cesar was so disappointed with himself that he decided to walk home leaving his car at the San Siro stadium. On the night it was obvious to see that this Inter team were no where near at the same level as last year. Both defensively and attacking the side with Mourinho in charge were by far superior. Bayern will now feel that they have what it takes to finish of the tie back in Munich and gain some revenge from the defeat in the final last year.

Inter (4-3-2-1) Julio Cesar, Maicon, Chivu, Lucio, Ranocchia (Kharja), Thiago Motta, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Sneijder, Eto'o

Bayern (4-2-3-1) Kraft, Lahm, Pranjic (Breno), Tymoschuk, Badstuber, Luis Gustavo, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Mueller, Ribery, Gomez

January transfer window round up

2011-02-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

Has there ever been a more action packed and exciting January transfer window? The English teams were by far the busiest, with clubs in total spending a record £225 million, which was by far higher than any other European League. This transfer window also saw the British transfer record broken on two occasions, with both taking place on a thrilling and dramatic final day.

Manchester City carried on where they left off in the summer making the first big money signing in the transfer window. They signed Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg for a total of £27 million. Dzeko has been a player manager Roberto Mancini had been after for a while and one which he believes can give his side an alternative in attack.

Darren Bent made the shock move from Sunderland to struggling Aston Villa. This is Bent's second big money move of his career and he believes that the switch to Villa Park will help with his England ambitions. Bent's arrival following Jean Makoun and English prospect Kyle Walker, confirms owner Andy Lerner's full support to the manager, something he has been criticised for in recent times.

With only days left of the January transfer window Liverpool striker Fernando Torres sensationally handed in a transfer request, following interest shown by Chelsea. The final day of the transfer window saw the speculation of Torres moving to Chelsea intensify and the transfer started to look even more likely. Despite Liverpool being on the verge of completing a £22.8 million deal to bring in striker Luis Suarez to the club, it seemed as if they wanted to bring another striker in to help fill the gap which would be left by Torres.

A £30 million bid for Andy Carroll had reportedly been rejected by Newcastle from the Merseyside club. This potential transfer came as an absolute shock to the football world as there had been no link with the player to the club until that day. It was thought that this would then automatically put the Torres deal into jeopardy. However soon after they had an improved offer of £35 million accepted. The transfer close to the deadline was completed and Carroll now joined the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo in the list of the top ten most expensive transfers in football history! Something which not many people would have predicted six months ago. This then gave the green light to the transfer of Torres to Chelsea for a British record £50 million.

It was an especially busy day for both clubs as they also completed other big money moves. Chelsea's long pursuit of Brazilian defender David Luiz came to an end as they and Benfica finally agreed on a price. Whilst Liverpool welcomed the arrival of Uruguayan World Cup star Luis Suarez from Dutch side Ajax. Chelsea were desperately in need of a quality central defender following the departure of Ricardo Carvalho in the summer and in David Luiz they certanly have found one. He is one of the best young defenders in world football today and his versatility will be a great asset to Chelsea. He is comfortable at playing both right and left back as well as playing the holding role in midfield.

The busiest team in La Liga this January were Malaga, who welcomed six new additions to the club. Sergio Asenjo came in on loan from Atletico Madrid for the remainder of the season while Ignacio Camacho also made the move from Atletico but on a perminant basis. Malaga have struggled this season and find themselves battling relegation. The quality and experience of new players Martin Demichelis and Julio Baptista, could well give them the edge over relegation rivals.

The top two in Spain were also both in business bringing in one player each to their multi talented squads. Barcelona signed Dutch sensation Ibrahim Afellay from PSV Eindhoven for just £3 million. His contract was set to expire in the summer and Afellay had made it clear to PSV that he wasn't going to sign a new one. Therefore in danger of leaving for free PSV accepted the Catalans offer. There are high hopes of Afellay both for club and country. In 2007 he was awarded the Johan Cruyff award, which is given to the best young player in the Netherlands.

January saw the special one finally get his hands on a striker! Mourinho had been after a striker throughout the summer but no deal was done. Real Madrid's first target for this postion was Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but a deal was unable to be reached due to Hamburg's reluctance to sell one of their prize assets. In the end Madrid agreed a deal with Manchester City to loan unsettled striker Emmanual Adebayor for the remainder of the season, with the possibility of a permanent deal in the summer. Adebayor was the more favourable option to Mourinho, who believes that the striker can fulfil the role of a target man like he had with Drogba and Milito. The Togolese international has made an instant impact in Madrid scoring some vital goals in recent weeks, which have lead Mourinho's men to some important victories.

In Italy the biggest deal to take place was the transfer of striker Giampaolo Pazzini to Inter Milan from Sampdoria. The deal cost Inter £11.2 million with French winger Jonathan Biabiany heading in the opposite direction. Pazzini has had an excellent spell at Sampdoria, which has lead to international recognition. With the departure of Mario Balotelli and Diego Milito out on the treatment table Inter have been in lack of options in attack. Pazzini could just be the man to revitalise Inter's season and get them back to the top of the league once again. It is a huge surprise to see Biabiany leaving Inter and joining Sampdoria as part of the deal, the rise of Biabiany and Phillipe Coutinho has been the only real positive, which Inter can take out of a very disappointing first half of the season.

AC Milan welcomed five new additions to their squad, in an attempt to hold on to top spot and win the Scudetto for the first time since 2004. Italian bad boy Antonio Cassano came in on a free from Sampdoria to replace Ronaldinho who decided to move back to Brazil. Cassano wasn't the only free transfer Milan were able to pick up this January, as Dutch captain Mark Van Bommel joined from last years Champions League finalists Bayern Munich. Urby Emanuelson, Nicola Legrottaglie and promising Spanish left back Didac Vila also made the switch to the San Siro to complete a busy transfer window for the Milan giants.

Are the champions back?

2011-02-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

After Chelsea's explosive start to the season not many people would of anticipated that they could be out of the running as early as January. This now seriously looked the case with the blues going into the game at the Reebok 10 points behind United and without an away win since October. Chelsea were in need of some form and quick! In Bolton though a tough test lay in front of them. Since the arrival of Owen Coyle last season, the trotters have improved dramatically and it was only a couple of months back they were sitting comfortably in a European position. However due to some recent injuries as well as winger Lee Yong Chung being away at the Asian cup the squad is now looking rather thin. The shortage of players available to Owen Coyle has taken its toll and there has been few opportunities to rotate during this busy schedule of games.

Chelsea's only change saw the inclusion of John Obi Mikel replacing the injured Frank Lampard. This meant that Ghanian midfielder Michael Essien pushed further forward into his more comfortable central midfield position. Bolton made two changes from the side which lost away to Stoke nine days ago. Gretar Steinsson and Martin Petrov both coming in for Sam Ricketts and Mark Davies. Chelsea started off the game in familiar fashion lacking both confidence and desire to win. Bolton started the complete opposite as they came flying out of the blocks. They were immediately in the faces of the Chelsea players giving them no time to settle on the ball. Crosses were coming in from both flanks at every opportunity in an attempt to try and unsettle the nervy looking Chelsea defence. The champions though held on and then soon later took the lead through a piece of genius. Didier Drogba pounced on a loose touch by defender Gretar Steinsson before letting fly with a powerful and swerving effort leaving Jussi Jaaskelainen with no chance.

This goal seemed to give the Chelsea players a lift and in particular goalscorer Drogba, who was now beginning to show signs of his form from last season. Bolton as they have done so many times this season came straight back at their opposition, but the Chelsea defence lead by inspiring captain John Terry were unable to be broken down. Matt Taylor then thought he had pulled his side level when he met Petrov's cross with a well guided header, which looked destined for the bottom corner. For it only to be stopped by a world class reflex save from goalkeeper Petr Cech, diving down to his left hand side. As an attacking force Chelsea were starting to become more of a threat and it wasn't long until they doubled their lead. The goal was scored by Florent Malouda, another player who was desperately in need of a goal to install some confidence into his game. It seemed as if the chance had passed him by, but he ended up squeezing the ball in from the narrowest of angles to give his side a two goal cushion going into the break.

With Bolton playing at home and now two goals behind, they slowly began in the second half to push more men forward. This fell directly into the hands of the away side, who could now use the pace of their attacking three to hit Bolton on the counter. This style of play also suited midfielder Michael Essien, who was now beginning to have more of an impact on proceedings. His terrific energy and drive from midfield lead to both Chelsea's third and fourth goals. French striker Nikolas Anelka was first on hand to clinically score against his old side and extend Chelsea's lead to a three goal advantage. To both Bolton and Owen Coyle's credit they carried on plugging away. Chelsea themselves though weren't holding back and Brazilian new boy Ramires completed the scoring neatly putting away his first ever Chelsea goal.

It was a perfect night for the side from South London, who nearer the end were also able to give some more playing time for young English prospect Josh McEachran. The emphatic 4-0 scoreline isn't a true reflection of the whole game, as there were times especially in the first half when Bolton put the Chelsea defence under large amounts of pressure. It was a game though where Chelsea were clinical in front of goal and this is something which even Bolton manager Owen Coyle eluded to in his post match conference: "We've had as many chances as them tonight but their clinical and thats why their champions". This could be the confidence boost which Chelsea needed to kickstart their season in pursuit of back to back Premiership titles.

Bolton (4-4-2) Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Robinson, Cahill, Knight, Muamba (Davies), Holden (Blake), Taylor, Petrov (Rodrigo), Davies, Elmander

Chelsea (4-3-3) Cech, Bosingwa, Cole, Ivanovic, Terry, Mikel (McEachran), Ramires (Kalou), Essien, Anelka, Malouda, Drogba

My passion

2010-12-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

The first La Liga match I ever watched was Barcelona vs. Sevilla at the Camp Nou on the 16^th of December 2002. The game finished 3-0 to Sevilla and I still have a clear memory of all the Barcelona fans standing up and starting to wave their white handkerchiefs during the closing stages of the match. This was something I had never come across during my time watching football. After I found out that the Spanish fans do this to show their anger and disgust at their team’s performance.

Throughout the game I was on the edge of my seat, enjoying every moment and I didn’t want it to end. There was so much flair and entertainment on show from the first whistle to the last. At the time young teenager Jose Antonio Reyes, a new dazzling sensation wanted by many of Europe’s elite, put in a terrific man of the match performance. He made a mockery of the Barcelona defence with his blistering pace and superb trickery. I just couldn’t get my head round that a team only recently promoted to La Liga like Sevilla could go to the Camp Nou and win so convincingly. Especially in the manner they did so with a 3-0 thumping victory. Mind you I don’t think the same outcome could be possible now with Barcelona’s current domination of La Liga!

From this moment on I have always been in love with the Spanish game. After that extraordinary encounter at the Camp Nou I then went on to follow and watch all of Barcelona’s games. There were so many things that attracted me to this great club. There was the passion of the fans, the size of the club, the stadium as well as the high profile players. I was also interested to see how they would react and try to get out of this mini crisis they found themselves in. The Catalan giants were sitting mid table in the league, a position that they are not use to being in.

The more of their games I began to watch the more I started to become enticed to Spanish football. It wasn’t long until I soon found myself watching a wide range of Spanish teams play. As a result I was becoming closer and more knowledgeable about the whole of La Liga. It then soon became a routine for me, every Saturday and Sunday evening I would just sit down and watch the line up of mouthwatering Spanish football action. It was great because at this time you had the Real Madrid team that was filled with galaticos producing some memorizing football. You had the likes of Zidane, Figo, Raul and Ronaldo all playing together at the peak of their powers, it really was something special to watch.

As the popularity of Spanish football increased in England this resulted in more matches being shown live on television. There are now around five La Liga matches shown every weekend, this is the same if not sometimes more than the coverage shown of the English Premiership. As well as this there is also a weekly Revista De La Liga show that recaps on all the Spanish football action and news. This all was ideal for me, as it allowed me to have a greater understanding of the Spanish game. I felt that I was now closer to all what was happening in the league, as I was able to watch and follow my passion more often and to a more in depth level.

There is something about the Spanish game that makes me so drawn and attached to it. The extreme amount of detail, which is placed on the tactical side of the game, interests me immensely. As well as this I find that the skill and control of all the players across the league is remarkable and on another level to the other leagues. The fact that the players are so skillful and that all of the teams play in such an attacking style results in the matches being packed of quality, entertainment and most importantly plenty goals.

As well as skill and flair the Spanish league also consists of some many other desirable qualities, such as passion and rivalry. La Liga is the home of some of the biggest rivalries in world football. For example the Seville derby competed between Sevilla and Real Betis, the Catalan derby between Espanyol and Barcelona and the Basque derby between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao. This is all without mentioning the biggest of them all the El Clasico. These games are always heated affairs with a lot at stake. I will never forget the scenes at the Camp Nou as Luis Figo returned to Barcelona for the first time after leaving for arch rivals Real Madrid. When walking over to take a corner a pig’s head was thrown in his direction by one of the Barcelona fans. This just demonstrates the rivalry and how important football is to Spanish football fans.

Not so long ago I actually went to Spain and watched Barcelona play. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget. Barcelona like they still are now were a joy to watch playing an attractive and unique brand of football. They also had the undoubted best player in the world Ronaldinho who at the time was playing at his brilliant best. We arrived at our hotel at midday with kick off not until late on in the evening. I can remember just being filled with excitement and eagerly waiting for the time to walk down to the stadium. The day after the match I was lucky enough to have a tour of the magnificent Camp Nou, one of the greatest sporting arenas. It was an amazing and breathtaking experience. It is my dream to one day go back there in the near future and watch the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi play against the great Real Madrid in the El Clasico.

Unit review

2010-12-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

I have enjoyed and learnt so much from this multimedia unit. The first module we studied was online, this is where i learnt how to set up and use a blog. Working on my blog is the part of the unit, which i have enjoyed the most and i'm regularly updating it with new posts.

In print we were give an introduction to Adobe InDesign. We then put what we had learnt into practice by creating a newspaper spread in groups of four. If i went back and did this again i would find out before writing my article around how many words it should be. This would then prevent me from writing too much and then having to shorten my article. By the end of this module i felt that i had made good progress and that i would now be able to create my own newspaper spread to a high quality.

In radio i firstly learnt how to do vox pops and edit them using Adobe Audition. Later in the module i learnt how to correctly structure and write radio news stories. At the beginning we were also given the opportunity to read out some radio news stories taken from the Sky news website. As a result we learnt how to read the news in an effective radio voice.

Throughout the TV module i have learnt a wide range of television key terms. To edit our footage, which we collected from around campus we used Adobe Premiere Pro. Even though i had already used this software before i found that i now had a greater understanding on how to use it. If i were to do this project again i would definitely spend more time filming so that at the end i had a more professional news piece.

TV project

2010-12-14T05:38:00.000-08:00

Several attempts with Sean Walsh but still no audio was able to be transferred.

5-Star Barca thrash Madrid

2010-12-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

With Mourinho now in charge Real Madrid went in into this El Clasico in a confident mood. Mourinho earlier this year came out triumphant over the Catalans with Italian side Inter, so there was no doubt that the Spanish champions feared the special one. However this Barcelona side are now showing signs of being the finished article and even Mourinho eluded to this in the build up to Monday's showdown.

Guardiola's men came firing out of the blocks, being dominate in possession and attacking at an electrifying pace. Madrid were being over run in the midfield area which raises the question should of Mourinho gone with Lassana Diarra from the start instead of another attacker? Like in the Champions League final two seasons ago against Manchester United, midfield duo Xavi and Iniesta were orchestrating the game. Both linked up to devastating effect to give Barca a much deserved lead. Iniesta playing a pinpoint pass through the heart of the Madrid defence which Xavi was able to collect and then put past the helpless Iker Casillas.

There was no sitting back for Barca as they carried on playing the only way they know how to and that is to attack. El Clasico debutant David Villa was giving right back Sergio Ramos a torrid evening, looking to take him on at every opportunity. Barcelona soon got a second when Villa beat his opponent with ease before laying the ball on a plate for Pedro to score. Madrid were now really in trouble and faced an uphill battle to get back into the match. They were also starting to show signs of indiscipline. Firstly Ronaldo pushed Barcelona manger Pep Guardiola and then Carvalho put his elbow into the face of Lionel Messi.

At half time Mourinho took off the ineffective Mesut Ozil for defensive midfielder Diarra. The change though did little to prevent Barcelona's domination and Madrid were now starting to look like a beaten side. It has been clear to see that the summer arrival of David Villa has definitely added a new dimension to the Barcelona attack. The partnership of Villa and Messi especially has been amazing to watch. The pair linked up to great effect for both Barca's third and fourth goals. The fourth in particular was a wonderful piece of magic by Messi, taking the ball past two players before executing one of passes of the season so far. Once again the Real Madrid defence were sliced wide open and Villa ran on to the pass to score his second of the game.

The scoring wasn't finished there either as young substitute Jeffren added a fifth to complete the rout. Tempers started to flare late on in injury time after a dreadful tackle by Sergio Ramos on Messi. Both sets of players came together and Ramos then seemed to punch Spanish teammate Carlos Puyol in the face. As a result Ramos was sent off and shortly after Madrid were finally put out of their misery. Many people have said that this was the best team performance in the history of football. It would be hard to disagree with them as Barcelona gave the perfect football exhibition which will live in the memory of all fans.

Barcelona (4-3-3) Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Abidal, Pique, Puyol, Sergio Busquets, Xavi (Keita), Iniesta, Pedro (Jeffren), David Villa (Bojan), Messi

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1) Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo (Arbeloa), Pepe, Carvalho, Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Di Maria, Ozil (Diarra), Ronaldo, Benzema

El Clasico preview

2010-11-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

The best club game in the world! And you cant dispute it, as at present these two sides are by a distance the best teams in Europe. The Champions League odds represent this, both are joint favourites at 3-1. Lets also just have a look at some statistics which show what an electrifying start both sides have made to this year's La Liga season:

Barcelona: Won - 10, Drawn - 1, Lost - 1, Goals for - 33, Goals against - 8, Points - 31

Real Madrid: Won - 10, Drawn - 2, Lost - 0, Goals for - 33, Goals against - 6, Points - 32

Some might argue that it isn't too difficult to be two of the best sides in Europe when you have top coaches like Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho managing the sides. As well as this also having the two best players in the world Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who both are scoring goals for fun and have lead their teams to a long run of victories. This year more than ever there seems to be an intense rivalry taking place between these two gifted and talented footballers, to be crowned the best in the world. Last year Messi created a distance between himself and Ronaldo and was undoubtedly the worlds best player. But with now Ronaldo into his second year in Spain, he seems to be closing the gap. The arrival of Mourinho has to have played a large role in this, as it is no surprise that since the special one's arrival Cristiano has looked a more all round and complete player than he did last season. The kind of Ronaldo we saw under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United when he scored 42 goals in one season. Both Messi and Ronaldo have been in scintillating form so far this season and in doing so have separated themselves from the rest. Both players scored hat tricks at the weekend. This took Messi on to 22 goals from 17 in all competitions, while Ronaldo's hat trick meant he has scored 16 from 18. Ronaldo is though one ahead of his rival in the La Liga scoring chart going into the El Clasico.

With now the world's best manager Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, the El Clasico is sure to be a more of an even contest. For the past few years this fixture has swung in the favour of the Catalan giants. Barca have come out on top on most occasions both home and away with some convincing results. But with now Mourinho at the helm a tighter affair is definitely expected. There is no question that since the special one has taken over, Madrid have looked a much stronger outfit. People have now started to believe that Real are now on a par with their fierce rivals. The magician has found a formula to be solid and organised defensively as well as being expansive in attack. Mourinho from both his time at Chelsea and Inter Milan has history with Barcelona, knocking them out of the Champions League several times. Most recently with Inter Milan last season in the semi finals, he then went on to win the competition becoming a European champion for the second time so early on in his managerial career. Mourinho believes that Barcelona have an addiction with winning the Champions League and that he will never be forgiven for taking it away from them. The psychological side of the game is a key part of Jose's footballing philosophy, so the fact that Real go into the clash on top spot above Barca is very important. Real also have the advantage that because Mourinho has been victorious in big matches against Barcelona in the past, this could create a sense of fear within the Barca camp. This is a feeling that the current La Liga champions are not use to feeling too often.

How they are likely to line up:

Barcelona (4-3-3) Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Abidal, Pique, Puyol, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, David Villa, Messi

The Barcelona starting eleven is pretty much set in stone. However Guardiola during past meetings against Real Madrid has nearly always gone in with a surprise selection. For example like last year at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he played Dani Alves on the right hand side of the front three to help deal with the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo. Im sure though that he wont go with that particular tactic on Monday night. This is partly because they are playing at home and also unlike last year they are the team in second place, so they need to try and get all three points. It will be interesting to see if manager Pep Guardiola goes with winger Pedro from the start. Pedro has been ever present in recent games and was on target in Barca's 8-0 victory over Almeria on Saturday. But Real are a totally different opposition with world class players all over the pitch. We have seen in the past against Chelsea for instance, that he often brings in another defensive midfielder to play alongside Busquets and help anchor the Barcelona midfield. This would be a useful tactic to go with especially as Ozil is likely to start in the hole behind Higuain. It is extremely important to nullify this threat, as Ozil has so many times this season been the creator for the likes of Ronaldo and Higuain. Therefore we could well see Barca move Iniesta in a more forward position on the left hand side of the attack and select either Mascherano or Keita to play alongside Busquets.

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1) Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Pepe, Carvalho, Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo, Higuain

Mourinho has kept with this same eleven for nearly every game this season and has only made changes if they have been forced upon him. It would be a huge surprise if there were any changes made from the team shown above. However this is Mourinho we are talking about remember and he is someone known for always having a trick up his sleeve. The only change which could be a slight possibility is a tactical one in the midfield. That is the inclusion of French international Lassana Diarra. Diarra is a hard working defensive midfielder who puts plenty of pressure on opponents. An ideal player to try and stop the likes of Xavi and Iniesta in midfielder from orchestrating the game. If Diarra was to be brought in, it would see either Di Maria or Ozil dropping to the bench as well as a change of formation. They would line up with three defensive midfielders, two wingers and one striker compared to their normal 4-2-3-1 formation. Even though Lass has been one of the players who has come in most when Mourinho has made changes, i don't think he will start the game and Jose will go with his normal eleven. I would though expect to see Diarra come on for maybe Di Maria or Ozil if Madrid are leading during the second half or if the game is level late on.

This El Clasico is one of the most anticipated in its history, due to both sides being in such breathtaking form. The match will include some of the world's great players, most notably Lional Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both will be looking to show the rest of the world that they are the greatest. The two most talented and successful young managers will go head to head with one and other once again in their quest for the La Liga title. Has there ever been so much pressure and importance on one game this early on in the season? The two matches will almost for sure determine which side will end up winning the league.

My prediction: 1-1

Sean Walsh's TV lecture

2010-11-23T02:12:00.000-08:00

After completing the online, print and radio units of the multimedia course, it was now time for students to get an insight into television. It was the first lesson of this unit and students were on time and raring to go.

To get us started lecturer Sean Walsh showed students some recent work produced by a group of second year students. The work produced was a news show informing people on the latest sporting headlines, even though it had some minor errors overall the news show demonstrated both hard work and initiative. For example an interview with England Rugby star Phil Vickery was included. All students were given the opportunity to share their own thoughts regarding the piece of work to the rest of the class. This enabled Sean to get to know everyones names as well as being able to here some of the interesting ideas students raised.

Sean Walsh then introduced students to some very important and essential TV terminology. These included the following:

- Rushes: unedited footage

- Aroll: interviews and reports

- Broll: general shots and views

- P2C: piece to camera

- SOC: sign off/standard outcue

Even though these terms were new to most students, Sean did say that overtime these terms would become easy to remember and eventually second nature.

After this we were then taught some of the basic camera angles. Such as a wide shot, mid shot (head and shoulders) and a close up. Compared to the terminology we had just been previously taught these were much more familiar with students.

The next part of lecture involved us grouping up into three's. We were given the task of going out around campus to do vox pops asking students about the recent news that Prince William is to marry Kate Middleton. The questions we came up with in our group to ask Farnham students were:

1) Is it going to be another celebrity wedding?

2) Will you be watching?

3) Do you think it is as important as the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana?

Once we had done our vox pops we returned in our groups to the Journalism room to begin editing. To edit our clips we were introduced to software called Adobe premiere pro. Before we started Sean gave us some useful information on how to use it. This included:

- Change to DV-Pal standard 48Hz

- Frame size: 726x576

- Set in point and out point

Haye 3st lighter than Harrison

2010-11-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

1,000 people were at Salford’s Lowry theatre in Manchester to witness the much-anticipated Haye vs. Harrison weigh in. Challenger Audley Harrison was first out and was welcomed by a mixed crowd reaction. The 39 year old despite being the underdog has been full of confidence in the build up to the fight, but is he going to be able to back this up with a victory against the current heavyweight champion of the world? Many people still don’t share his confidence and some have even taken a bet that he will be knocked out as soon as the third round. It was now Haye’s turn to walk out. He strutted out along side his team of coaches wearing a t-shirt with ‘no you cant’ written across in capitals. This was done in response to Harrison, who has been saying all week that he can and will beat David Haye.

Harrison was first to step on the scales and weighed in at 18st 1 ½lbs, which was heavier than expected. Haye on the other hand came in at a surprisingly low 15st ½ lb, which stunned everyone in the crowd. This was his lowest weight at heavyweight and it meant that he would go into the fight a whole 3st lighter than his opponent. Will this give Harrison the upper hand or will Haye still be too quick to handle? The two boxers then soon after went face-to-face. Harrison stood nodding his head while Haye was looking confident as ever. Audley was the first to look away as boxing legend Lenox Lewis separated the two.

Haye after had this to say “if you look at my past career, it’s a good weight for me’. ‘I feel strong, I feel fast, I feel that’s an advantage for me’. Harrison was still confident and sure of victory, saying ‘This is going to be about who’s the better fighter and I believe 100% that’s me’.

World class Bale torments Inter in 3-1 victory

2010-11-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

Two years ago when Harry Redknapp took over as manager, Tottenham were sitting bottom of the league. Now they were welcoming Champions of Europe Inter Milan to White Heart Lane! A quite remarkable achievement by manager Harry Redknapp. But could he now take this club further and qualify from the group of death taking Tottenham into the knockout stages of the Champions League? These two talented teams have so far set alight this year's Champions League. Both Spurs and Inter are at present two of the highest scorers in this years competition due to their attacking style of play, so as like two weeks ago a thrilling and entertaining match was set in store.

To the delight of all Tottenham fans Dutch playmaker Rafael Van der Vaart was passed fit and would start the game. Another hugely influential player for the home side is of course welsh sensation Gareth Bale, who tormented right back Brazilian Maicon when the two teams last met. Both Spurs players along with the rest of the team made a great start to the match, attacking at pace while also giving the Inter team no space to breath, pressurising them high up the pitch. The experienced champions though were still at times looking dangerous and striker Samuel Eto'o came close to giving his the lead when his powerful shot whistled past the side netting. Luka Modric who in the San Siro had to unfortunately be sacrificed, was playing with great energy in the heart of the Spurs midfield. He played an essential role in the game's opening goal, he firstly jinksed past a couple of Inter players and then threaded through a wonderfully disguised through ball. An onside Rafael Van der Vaart ran on to the pass and confidently put the ball past Inter goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi. 1-0 Spurs and you couldn't say they didn't deserve it.

If it was even possible Gareth Bale was playing even better than he did two weeks ago in the San Siro. He was getting the better of Maicon every time, who at the moment is regarded by many as the best right back in the world. Along with his quick feet and powerful running Bale was delivering some pin point crosses into some dangerous areas. Striker Peter Crouch should of really doubled the lead when getting on the end of an excellent floated cross by Bale, but he dragged his volley wide from close range. While at the other end Inter duo Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto'o still remained a threat to the Tottenham defence with some neat one twos in and around the area. Eto'o turned brilliantly away from two Spurs players and then was dripped on the edge of the box. Free kick expert Sneijder stepped up and produced a great reflex save from goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, keeping his side in the lead going into the break.

The half time break saw the introduction of midfielder Jermaine Jenas replacing goalscorer Van der Vaart. The change was made due to injury, but it did give the Tottenham midfield a more defensive look and therefore making them harder to break down. Spurs and Bale carried on where they left off in the first half. Harry's men were still maintaining their high levels of work rate not allowing the opposition to settle on the ball, in their attempt to hold on to the lead and move one step closer to qualification.

Bale once again went on another one of his dazzling runs beating a number of Inter players in the process. He then whipped in a low cross which this time Peter Crouch was on hand to convert. In response Inter looked to their bench and brought on young talent Phillippe Coutinho and Argentininian front man Diego Milito. The substitutions made a great impact on the game, with the away side now attacking with more a purpose. With 10 minutes remaining they had pulled a goal back and set up a very nervy ending for the Spurs fans. Constant threat Eto'o was given far too much room and his low powerful shot ended up in the bottom corner leaving goalkeeper Cudicini with no chance. The Cameroonian scoring his 6th goal so far in this years competition showing why he is still one of the most deadliest strikers still around.

Inter were now pushing more men forward in search for a late equaliser, this left them susceptible to the counter attack. Gareth Bale took full advantage of this and raced away with ball into the oppositions half. He pushed the ball past Inter defender Lucio with ease before putting the ball on a plate for substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko. A wonderful run by Bale to cap off a simply breathtaking performance. With little time left for Inter to reply the game finished 3-1. This victory moved Spurs top of the group on goal difference and with two games remaining they now have a great opportunity to progress to the knockout stages. It was a special night for the North London side and one which Tottenham fans will never forget!

Tottenham (4-2-3-1) Cudicini, Hutton, Assou-Ekotto, Gallas, Kaboul, Huddlestone, Modric, Lennon (Palacios), Van der Vaart (Jenas), Bale, Crouch (Pavlyuchenko)

Inter Milan (4-2-3-1) Castellazzi, Maicon, Chivu, Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti, Muntari (Nwankwo), Biabiany (Coutinho), Sneijder, Pandev (Milito), Eto'o

Radio project

2010-11-09T09:03:00.003-08:00

What's your view on the dramatic increase in university fees?

Radio project by Tommy Wilkinson

Wayne Rooney contract saga

2010-10-31T05:37:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 18^th of October news broke that Wayne Rooney will not sign a new Manchester United deal. This was following a meeting between Rooney’s representatives and Manchester United chief executive David Gill. Rooney asked for assurances regarding the future squad, these could not be met so therefore he decided that he wasn't going to renew his current contract. As soon as the story broke a host of top teams were linked with the forward, including Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. Chelsea and arch rivals Manchester City were also set to be interested. Later on this very day Manchester United labeled reports of their star man moving to Madrid as nonsense. This left many people wondering if Rooney was actually going to leave.

All was clarified the next day, when manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed the news all United fans didn’t want to hear. During the pre match interview for the sides Champions League clash against Bursapor the United boss announced to the media that Wayne did want to leave the club. He was both shocked and disappointed when he was informed about the situation over the phone to David Gill. Ferguson went on to say that the door was still open for Wayne to stay at the club and for him to renew his contract, but he did believe that not enough respect to the club had been shown.

On Wednesday the speculation started to really heat up. Everyone was starting to wonder where Rooney’s next destination was going to be. Striker Nikolas Anelka along with other Chelsea teammates said that they would welcome the addition of Rooney to the squad. Jose Mourinho after his Champions League match against AC Milan was questioned about the prospect of Rooney moving to the Santiago Bernabeu. He chuckled and answered with a smile, “my thoughts are he will stay”. After United’s 1-0 victory over the Turkish champions Ferguson said he wants to revolve the situation as quickly as possible to prevent it from becoming a saga.

On Thursday evening a meeting took place evening involving Ferguson, Gill and Rooney’s agent Paul Stretford. The fans were told in a statement to in the meantime try and stay patient. On Friday morning fans woke up to the surprising news that Rooney has made a complete u-turn and had signed a new five-year deal with Manchester United keeping him at the club until 2015. The managerial genius had done it once again using all his 24 years of experience to hold on to his star man. He had convinced Rooney to stay at the club when it seemed that he had made up his mind and was leaving. Ferguson announced he was delighted that Wayne has decided to stay at the club and that the player now realizes how big the club actually is. Rooney has also apologized to his teammates and has promised to win back the fan’s trust.

After what has happened in this eventful week along with the outcome which has been reached, it leaves us wondering if weather or not Rooney really wanted to leave Manchester United in the first place. Was he just trying to get a large increase in wages or did he really have a change of heart? Well I suppose only Rooney and his representatives know the answer to that question. What is for sure is that player power is carrying on to increase and players these days can now force themselves a transfer against their managers and clubs will.

England squad to face Montenegro

2010-10-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ben Foster (Birmingham City), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephan Warnock (Aston Villa)

Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Liverpool), Stevan Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin Davies (Bolton Wanderers), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

The only change to the England goalkeepers is the return of Robert Green. Despite his woeful performance against USA in the World Cup it would be hard to deny him his place back into the squad. After an excellent couple of performances, most notably in his clubs 1-0 victory over Tottenham. I would however expect him to only take the number 3 goalkeeping slot behind the inform pair Joe Hart and Ben Foster.

Right back! A real problem area for the England team, so much so that manager Capello has once again decided on only naming one right back in his squad. While on the other side we have much more options, with the likes of Ashley Cole, Stephan Warnock, Leighton Baines and Kieran Gibbs. On this occasion it is Aston Villa's Warnock who has been chosen to act as cover for Cole. I hope though in the future Fabio will go with promising youngster Gibbs once he has returned from injury.

Both first choice centre backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand have recently returned from injury and have been playing at the top of their games, so it was no surprise to see them come back into the squad. It would of been interesting to see if both started against Montenegro or if Fabio Capello would of kept with the impressive Phil Jagielka. Now with Jagielka and Terry both ruled out due to injury it looks as if Rio will be partnered by either Joleon Lescott or Gary Cahill. The young and talented Cahill who was called up as a replacement could of counted himself unlucky for missing out on the initial 23 man squad. Cahill is playing every week and on form, so surely he should start instead of Lescott, who at the moment cant get a game for club side Manchester City.

By Capello only naming seven defenders, this allowed him to have one extra midfielder in his squad. He picked four central midfielders and five wingers. Looking at his options in the middle, it is promising to see the likes of inform pair Jack Wilshere and Tom Huddlestone in the squad. I would of also liked to see a ball winning holding midfielder in the squad. England's best player in this position is by far Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves. As Hargreaves is unavailable due to his current injury problems, the next best player most naturally suited to this role is Scott Parker. Parker is playing every week for his club West Ham and is performing excellently, so shouldn't he be given the chance to prove what he can bring to this England side?

The Italian has decided on recalling both Joe Cole and Aaron Lennon, giving him more options in the wide areas. It was debatable that they deserved their place back in the squad, with Cole being suspended for most of the season and Lennon not playing through injury. However Capello didnt have too many other options as his first choice wide players Theo Walcott and James Milner are both unavailable due to injury and suspension respectively. Starting tonight in these positions should be Adam Johnson on the right and Ashley Young on the left. I did find it staggering that Young was not on the plane to South Africa in the summer when for the past few years he has been arguably one of the best performing wingers in the Premiership. In the 2007-2008 season he finished second to Cesc Fabregas in assists with 17 as well as being included in the team of the year. He also in January 2009 became the first ever player to win three FA Premiership Player of the Month awards in the same year!

The replacement for the injured Jermain Defoe saw the surprise inclusion of Bolton's Kevin Davies. This position in the squad has been much discussed over the past couple of weeks. The England manager's first choice for this position involved an attempt to try and convince inform Emile Heskey out of international retirement. Capello like with Paul Scholes was unable to do so. Kevin Davies has now been presented the opportunity of winning his first England cap at the age of 33. Surely this contradicts with Capello saying he was going to start bringing through the young English talent and include them in his squads for the Euro Qualifiers. This would of been a perfect opportunity for young and upcoming striker Andy Carroll who has made a great start to the season, scoring four goals in six starts for his club side Newcastle.

My starting eleven:

(4-3-2-1) Hart, Johnson, Cole, Ferdinand, Cahill, Barry, Gerrard (c), Wilshere, Johnson, Young, Rooney.

England should line up 4-3-3 when attacking, and 4-5-1 when without the ball. This formation is used by nearly every top team. At club level Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea have all adopted this setup, whilst at international level the current World Cup and European Championship holders Spain use it as well. It allows you to be fluent and free flowing in attack as well as remaining organised and hard to break down defensively. It is the formation which is best suited for the group of players Capello has at his disposal and all of them are familiar with playing it from club level.

I take the view that Steven Gerrard should be made England captain on a permanent basis. It is no coincidence that since Gerrard has taken on the responsibility of captain, his performances for country have improved dramatically. With England fans seeing the type of form he produces week in week out for Liverpool. Gerrard seems to thrive on wearing the captain armband, so why should Capello take this away from him and risk not seeing one of our most talented players perform to the best of his ability. Rio Ferdinand the current official England captain has recently had the Manchester United captaincy taken away from him. Sir Alex Ferguson said that he needed a captain who he could rely on being fully fit for most of the season.

Arsenal's nemises strikes again

2010-10-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

The champions welcomed the visit of title rivals Arsenal to Stamford Bridge. A fixture which Didier Drogba has bullied and tormented Arsenal defenders on so many occasions. Both sides came into the game with a disappointing result in their previous premiership fixture, so they were looking to get back on track with their pursuit of the Premiership title. This game is always a highlight fixture in the football calendar, with two very different styles but two excellent teams. Last years encounters saw the strength and power of the experienced Chelsea overcome Arsenal with convincing home and away victories.

There were no surprises with the starting line ups, with both sides starting the match with the strongest eleven available to them. However there was a surprise to the opening of the game as the away side got off to an electrifying start. Arsenal were on top and looking like they were the home side. Maroune Chamakh came close to scoring straight after kick off with a slightly deflected diving header which just ended up wide of the post. From the resulting corner centre back Laurent Koscielny then missed a golden opportunity from virtually underneath the crossbar. Russian international Andrei Arshavin also came close to giving Arsenal the lead with a well struck effort on goal from outside the box, but Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech stood up to the test well. Were Arsenal going to rue these early missed chances like they have done so many times before?

It seemed so, with Chelsea now starting to grow more into the game with ex-gunners left back Ashley Cole pushing further forward and causing problems for right back Bacary Sagna. Ivorian striker Didier Drogba looked as if he was going to carry on where he left off against Arsenal last year, shrugging of the challenge of Gael Clichy while running onto a through ball and then hitting his powerful strike at keeper Luckaz Fabianski. New signing Ramires was everywhere for Chelsea, working hard and winning the ball back for his team as well as starting off attacks and breaking forward. He needed a good performance after his not so impressive display at Eastlands last week. He also played an instrumental role in the games opening goal, by dispossessing holding midfielder Alexandre Song just inside the oppositions half. A tackle which Wenger deemed to have been a foul and replays do in fact show Ramires pulling back Song before reaching for the ball. However the attack continued and later on in the passage of play the Brazilian midfielder played a defense splitting pass to overlapping full back Ashley Cole. The ball was then whipped in towards the near post and finished off by an exquisite back heal from Didier Drogba. Drogba scoring his 13th goal in as many matches against the gunners.

The second half began with immediate Arsenal pressure, in their search for an equaliser. Even though the blues were unable to retain possession and build some attacks of their own, they seemed happy to sit back and protect their lead. Despite Arsenal's dominance and long periods with the ball they didn't trouble the Chelsea goal as much as they would of liked. This was solely down to the strong and organised setup of Chelsea's back four and midfield three. Arsenal during the second half did have two half penalty appeals both involving lone striker Chamakh. He later came close with another header, which he was unable to turn goalwards. The game was really starting to stretch as Arsenal started to push more men forward in search for a much needed equaliser. Chelsea used this to their advantage and switched to a counter attacking style. Nikolas Anelka really should of put the game beyond the gunners reach when he pounced on a mistake by French defender Sebastian Squillaci. He rounded goalkeeper Fabianski and then unbelievably put the ball into the side netting with the goal gaping.

The three points were guaranteed when defender Alex hit a trademark thunderbolt free kick into the top right hand corner. With only 5 minutes left the game was now for sure out of Arsenal's reach. Even though the result was the same as last season, there was clear evidence of progression by this young and maturing squad. Maybe if one of the many chances created at 0-0 was converted then the outcome may well have been different. It is also important to remember that they did go into the game with the spine of their team missing. This included the likes of Thomas Vermealen, Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie, who are all out injured. For Chelsea this victory shows that they are as hungry as ever to add another Premiership title to their collection and by the looks of the start they have made to the season their going to take some stopping. Their wonderful recent record over Arsenal still continuous and Arsene Wenger must now really start to regret turning down the chance to sign striker Didier Drogba back in 2000!

Chelsea (4-3-2-1) Cech, Ivanovic (Ferreira), Cole, Alex, Terry, Mikel (Sturridge), Essien, Ramires (Zhirkov), Anelka, Malouda, Drogba

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Fabianski, Sagna, Clichy, Squillaci, Koscielny, Song, Wilshere (Emmanuel-Thomas), Nasri, Diaby (Rosicky), Arshavin (Vela), Chamakh

The battle of the pretenders

2010-10-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

Valencia and Atletico played out an evenly contested 1-1 draw, as both Real and Barca picked up maximum points. Valencia began this round of fixtures on top spot with three wins out of three. However they faced a tough test with the visit of European Super Cup winners Atletico Madrid to the Mestalla. Both teams went into the game with important players ruled out due to injury. Valencia were without their hugly influential midfield mistro Ever Banega, while the away side were without striker Kun Aguero who had picked up an injury during his sides previous La Liga game against Barcalona. Despite these high profile absentees there was still a ray of talent from both sides on show, including the player of the World Cup Diego Forlan. This was the highlight fixture in this midweek round of La Liga and it didn't disappoint!

The league leaders started off the game playing at their normal fast pace tempo, looking to make an early break through. Alejandro Dominguez was playing in a free role for his side and was causing Atletico some problems with his intelligent movement and ability to find areas of space to collect the ball. However it was the visitors who made the break through and did so with a touch of class. It all started from a Valencia attack, the corner was taken and then the ball broke loose and Atletico were away. The impressive Diego Forlan picked up the ball while still in his own half and played a delightful left footed through ball which was met by the run of left back Antonio Lopez. The Atletico captain then passed the ball inside to the Portuguese international Simao who controlled well and placed the ball neatly into the bottom corner. A fantastic counter attack by the visitors!

The longer the game went on the more the Valencia players pushed forward. The wide men would move into a more central position to create space for the overlapping wing backs to attack into. Miguel and Jeremy Mathieu were now positioned so far forward they were basically playing as wingers. In search for an equaliser they brought on summer arrival Roberto Soldado to play up alongside Aritz Aduriz. Atletico kept well organised and were hard to break down. This season compared to others they seem to be better when without the ball and defending collectively as a team. The summer acquisition of David Godin from Villarreal and the continuously improving young goalkeeper David De Gea seem to have made Atletico a much stronger force defensively.

Valencia were susceptible to counter attacks, with sometimes only the two centre backs and David Albelda left to defend. As a result Atletico were still creating chances to further their lead. While at the other end it was the introduction of Soldado which caused most of the problems and he came close to scoring on several occasions. It was in the end his strike partner Aduriz who scored the equaliser they were pushing for, late on in the 83rd minute. Aduriz for the goal really demonstrated his power in the air with a superb header from a cross delivered by substitute Pablo Hernandez. They thoroughly deserved their equaliser and on the night a 1-1 score line was a fair result with both sides playing their part in a terrific game of football. It will be interesting to see in the next few weeks the results of both of these sides. We can soon therefore get a better idea if these pretenders can be a real match for the big two Barca and Real, and challenge them for the La Liga title!

Valencia (4-2-3-1) Cesar, Miguel, Mathieu (Jordi Alba), Maduro, Ricardo Costa, Albelda, Tino Costa, Joaquin (Pablo Hernandez), Dominguez (Soldado), Mata, Aduriz

Atletico Madrid (4-4-2) De Gea, Perea, Antonio Lopez, Godin, Dominguez, Raul Garcia (Suarez), Assuncao, Reyes (Merida), Simao (Valera), Forlan, Diego Costa

Gunners gain revenge on rivals in style

2010-10-04T03:07:00.000-07:00

5 years without a trophy! Well if Arsene Wenger continuous to field this new look of youth and experience in the Carling Cup, then maybe this could be the year when Arsenal get their hands back on a trophy. Unlike in previous years Wenger decided against a line up full of youngsters, instead he opted with the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri to add some necessary experience to his side. Perhaps this is a sign that Wenger is starting to feel the pressure of failing to win a trophy since last lifting the FA Cup in Cardiff back in 2005?

Harry Redknapp also named a mixed lineup and gave opportunities to some of the fringe players in his squad. Such as David Bentley and Giovani. He also gave out debuts to Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa and Brazilian hot prospect Sandro.

It was the visitors who made the stronger start to the game, with young England sensation Jack Wilshere pulling the strings in midfield. Arsenal were really starting to dominate proceedings, with Harry Redknapp's men penned back deep into their own half. There was no escape for Spurs, it was wave after wave of Arsenal pressure.

It wasnt long until their dominance soon paid off. Tomas Rosicky received a pass in a left hand side position, and then was instantly met by a storming overlapping run by Wilshere. Wilshere then whipped in a low powerful cross which was met by the right boot of Henri Lansbury. A typical Arsenal fast flowing move!

During the first half there were moments which suggested Spurs could hurt their North London rivals on the break. Both Roman Pavlyuchenko and David Bentley, had shots from distance as a result of some quick and incisive counter attacks. However both failed to trouble the Arsenal goal.

Changes were in order for any chance of a Spurs turn around. Redknapp made two subtitutions as well as switching back to his preferred 4-4-2 formation. The changes to the team made an instant impact, and soon into the second half Robbie Keane equalised. Arsenal could of counted themselves unlucky as replays clearly showed Keane standing in an offside position leading up to the goal.

The second half was a much more open game, allowing more space and time for the likes of french playmaker Samir Nasri. Nasri was in a class of his own and was involved in everything Arsenal created. Both teams came close to scoring a winner as the game drew closer to extra time. Keane hit the post and then Pletikosa flapped at a cross which Djourou could only head across goal.

Extra time got off to the most of unusual starts with the gunners being awarded two early penalties, both of which Nasri confidently converted. This now left Spurs with an up hill battle to try and get back into the tie. Arsenal though were still passing the ball around with ease, and they soon after added to their lead, with a powerful left footed strike by Andrei Arshavin.

Despite still only being in the first half of extra time there was now no way back for the home side. They still battled away and came close on several occasions to pulling a goal back, but the night would end up belonging to Arsenal and their fans. There were still positives to take out of the game for manager Harry Redknapp, such as the impressive display shown by debutant Sandro and the bright impact Irish striker Robbie Keane made to the game. On the night the gunners were by far the superior side and fully deserved their victory. They can now look forward to progressing further in the competition and maybe putting an end to this long wait for a trophy!

Tottenham (4-3-2-1) Pletikosa, Naughton, Assou-Ekotto, Caulker, Bassong, Sandro (Kranjcar), Palacios, Livermore (Keane), Giovani (Lennon), Bentley, Pavlyuchenko

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Fabianski, Eboue, Gibbs (Clichy), Djourou, Koscielny, Denilson, Wilshere, Lansbury, Nasri, Rosicky (Arshavin), Vela (Chamakh)